Fouls History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The roots of the Anglo-Saxon name Fouls come from when the family 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 Fouls family

The surname Fouls 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 Fouls family

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

Fouls 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. Fouls has been recorded under many different variations, including Foulds, Faulds, Fowlds, Foulls, Faulls, Fowldes and many more.

Early Notables of the Fouls family

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

Migration of the Fouls 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 Fouls or a variant listed above: Joseph Foulds purchased land in Georgia in 1735; Albion, Alexander, Henry, James, and William Foulds settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1834 and 1866..

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)