Show ContentsFoor History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

As an Irish surname, Foor was an Anglicized version of three different Gaelic names: "Mac Giolla Naomh," meaning "son of the devotee of the saints" was a Sept that originated in southern Connemara. The name also comes from "Mac Consnámha," or "son of the swimming hound." This Connacht Sept has also been Anglicized as Kinneavy. Lastly, in Cork, the name was an Anglicized version of "Fuaráin", though more often it was Anglicized as Foran. There are also many Irish bearers of this name, who are ultimately of English origin. The English name comes from the Old English word "ford," which denotes a shallow section of a river, where it can be crossed. One large family came to County Meath from Devon in the 14th century where they became large land-holders.

Early Origins of the Foor family

The surname Foor was first found in Connacht (Irish: Connachta, (land of the) descendants of Conn), and in County Cork where several distinct Irish Septs all came to be known by the English name Foor.

Early History of the Foor family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Foor research. Another 55 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1355 and 1604 are included under the topic Early Foor History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Foor Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Ford, Forde and others.

Early Notables of the Foor family

More information is included under the topic Early Foor Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Foor Ranking

In the United States, the name Foor is the 14,334th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Foor family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Charles Ford who settled in Virginia in 1635; John Ford, who settled in Salem Massachusetts in 1630; Edward, Frederick, Hugh, James, John, Michael, Patrick, Phillip, Richard, Thomas and William Ford, who all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1865.


Contemporary Notables of the name Foor (post 1700) +

  • Percy G. Foor (1913-1990), American politician, Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (1969-1974)
  • James Emerson Foor (b. 1949), retired American Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1971 to 1973
  • Navarone Foor (b. 1992), Dutch professional footballer


The Foor 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: Lucrum Christi mihi
Motto Translation: Without Christ, there is no light.


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/


Houseofnames.com on Facebook