Folder History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Folder comes from the family having resided in the region beside an enclosed pen for animals. The surname Foulds or Faulds is derived from the hamlet of Folds in the parish of Bolton in the northern county of Lancashire. That town's name, in turn, is derived from the ancient term "fold" meaning a sheep enclosure. 1

Alternatively, the name could have been denoted for a ‘Worker at the fold(s) or cattle-pen(s)’, from the Old English ƒalod, later f?ld, Middle English fold. 2

"Foulds is a Lancashire surname, so that we need not be surprised by the pronunciation. " 1

Early Origins of the Folder family

The surname Folder was first found in Yorkshire where Hugh del Foldis was listed at Wakefield in 1275. Later, Adam in le Fold was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Derbyshire in 1327 and John atte Fold was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Somerset in 1327. The Subsidy Rolls for Staffordshire include a listing for Adam de Falde in 1332 and in the same year, John del ffald was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Cumberland (Cumbria). 2

Early History of the Folder family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Folder research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1530 and 1597 are included under the topic Early Folder History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Folder Spelling Variations

Folder has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Spelling variants included: Foulds, Faulds, Fowlds, Foulls, Faulls, Fowldes and many more.

Early Notables of the Folder family

Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Folder Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Folder migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Folders to arrive on North American shores:

Folder Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Katherin Folder, who landed in Virginia in 1637 3

Folder Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

M Folder, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 3

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)