Faux History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France

The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 added many new elements to an already vibrant culture. Among these were thousands of new names. The Faux family lived in Essex. The name, however, derives from the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Vaux, Normandy. 1

Early Origins of the Faux family

The surname Faux was first found in Essex where Robert de Vals, de Valibus, de Vaux was first listed shortly after the Conquest. 2

However, the name was scattered throughout early Britain due to their strong Norman ancestry. Aitard de Vaux held estates in Norfolk in 1086 as did Randulph de Vaux in Cumberland. 1

In part, this was due to the origin of the name "Vaux," a fairly common French place name which is plural of the word "val" which means in English "valley." 2 The "V" and "F" prefix was interchangeable at this time.

Early History of the Faux family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Faux research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1570, 1605, 1606, 1675 and 1732 are included under the topic Early Faux History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Faux Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Faux, Fawkes, Fauks and others.

Early Notables of the Faux family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Isaac Fawkes (1675?-1732), (also spelt Fawks, Fawxs, Fauks and Faux), an English conjurer and showman

Faux migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Faux or a variant listed above:

Faux Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mr. Faux, who arrived in Virginia in 1695 3
Robert and Edward Faux, who settled in New England in 1698
Edward Faux, aged 19, who landed in New England in 1699 3

Faux migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 4

Faux Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Mr. John Faux, (b. 1598), aged 36, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Hopewell" arriving in Barbados on 17th February 1634 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Faux (post 1700) +

Paul R. Faux, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Butler, Pennsylvania, 1958-61 (acting, 1958-59) 5
Frank W. Faux, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from South Carolina, 1940, 1948 (alternate), 1952 (alternate), 1956 5

The Faux Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: A Deo et Rege
Motto Translation: From God and the king.

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, March 18) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html