Show ContentsFastoff History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Fastoff family

The surname Fastoff was first found in Norfolk at the coastal town of Yarmouth (Great Yarmouth.) Fastolf was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 and later in 1291, Alexander, and William Fastolf were listed in the Feet of Fines of Suffolk. 1 Thomas Fastolf of Reedham and Great Yarmouth was one of the first records of the name. He was father to Nicholas Fastolf (died 1330), an English judge who is generally thought to have been the first judge to hold the office of Lord Chief Justice of Ireland and Thomas Fastolf (Fastolfe) who died in 1361, an English canon lawyer and Bishop of St David's.

Early History of the Fastoff family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fastoff research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1352, 1361, 1380 and 1459 are included under the topic Early Fastoff History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fastoff Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Fastoff has been recorded under many different variations, including Fastalf, Fastoff, Fastolf, Fastoff, Fastolfe and others.

Early Notables of the Fastoff family

Distinguished members of the family include Sir John Fastolf of Caister-on-Sea; and his son, Sir John Fastolf KG (1380-1459), an English knight during the Hundred Years War, inspiration for Shakespeare's Sir John Falstaff. For his efforts in France, he was...
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fastoff Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Fastoff family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Fastoff or a variant listed above: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..



  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


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