| ![Show Contents]() Fosse History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Fosse is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived in Doultin and Shepton Mallet on either side of Fosse Way. The surname Fosse is a topographic surname which literally means "ditch of a fortified place" 1 2 but two sources claim the name to mean "waterfall." 3 4 Anciently, the name could have been Norman as the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae shows Geoffry, Hubert, Ralph, Richard, Stephen de Fossa, or De la Fosse of Normandy in 1198. 5 Early Origins of the Fosse familyThe surname Fosse was first found in Sussex where John del Fosse was recorded in 1199. Later the Hundredorum Rolls of 1272 listed Roger de Fossa and Richard de la Fosse of England, but no counties were listed. 5 The Curia Regis Rolls include an entry for Richard atte Fosse, 1 Edward II (during the first year of the reign of King Edward II.) Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Johannes Fosse and Willelmus de Fosse. 3 Over in Somerset, records there show: Richard de Fosse; Margery atte Fosse; and Robert atte Fosse. All were recorded 1 Edward III. 6 "In Somerset the surname is recorded from Doulting and Shepton Mallet, on each side of the Fosse Way, along which lie three farms named Fosse in Wiltshire, four in Warwickshire and two in Nottinghamshire." 7 Early History of the Fosse familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fosse research. Another 112 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1284, 1327, 1379, 1787, 1804, 1811, 1814, 1822, 1830, 1837, 1839, 1840, 1844, 1850, 1853, 1865 and 1870 are included under the topic Early Fosse History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Fosse Spelling VariationsThe first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Fosse has been spelled many different ways, including Foss, Fosse, Fos, Voss, Foose, Foos and others. Early Notables of the Fosse familyNotables of this surname at this time include: Edward Foss (1787-1870), English biographer, eldest son of Edward Smith Foss, solicitor, of 36 Essex Street, Strand, London, by Anne, his wife, daughter of Dr. William Rose of Chiswick, born in Gough Square, Fleet Street, 16 Oct. 1787. He was educated under Dr. Charles Burney, his mother's brother-in-law, at Greenwich, and remained there until he was articled in 1804 to his father, whose partner he became in 1811. In 1822 he became a member of the Inner Temple, but never proceeded further towards a call to the bar. Upon his father's death, in...
Another 141 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fosse Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Fosse RankingIn France, the name Fosse is the 1,245th most popular surname with an estimated 4,513 people with that name. 8
 Fosse migration to the United States | + |
Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Fosses to arrive in North America:
Fosse Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- John Fosse, who settled in Maryland in 1663
Fosse Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Jean Fosse, who arrived in Louisiana in 1719
| Fosse migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Fosse Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century- Jeanne Fosse, who settled in Quebec in 1670
| Contemporary Notables of the name Fosse (post 1700) | + |
- Raymond Earl "Ray" Fosse (1947-2021), American Major League Baseball catcher from 1967 to 1979 and television sports color commentator, two-time All-Star and won two Gold Glove Awards
- Bob Fosse (1927-1987), American theatre and film choreographer and director
- Ray Fosse, American baseball player
- Nicole Fosse, American dancer, daughter of Bob Fosse
- Louis Remy de la Fosse, French architect
- Jon Fosse, Norwegian writer
- Charles de La Fosse, French painter
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
- 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)
- Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
|
Fosse migration to the United States 
Fosse migration to Canada 
Netherlands
England
France
