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When the ancestors of the Falls family emigrated to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066 they brought their family name with them. They lived in Midlothian. The name comes from the Old English word fall, which, strangely, could indicate someone who lived near either a waterfall or a meadow. Another derivation suggests that the name is a local reference to the area of Falaise, Normandy. Time has confused the two derivations, and it is now extremely difficult to tell which is appropriate in a given case. 1
The surname Falls was first found in Midlothian where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.
The Falle variant is now native to Jersey in the Channel Islands, but was originally from Lancashire where Gilbert de la Falle was recorded in the Assize Rolls of 1263. William de Fall was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1255 in Oxfordshire and Geoffrey del Falles was found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1297. 1
The Fallas or Fallis variant dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was first recorded by William de Faleise, de Falisia in Wiltshire. 2
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Falls research. Another 79 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1165, 1421, 1453, 1567, 1656, 1694, 1736 and 1742 are included under the topic Early Falls History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Falls has been recorded under many different variations, including Falla, Fala, Falle, Falls, Fallows, Fallis and many more.
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was George Fala Scottish Ambassador. Philip Falle (1656-1742) was a clergyman and historian of Jersey. He was born in the parish of St. Saviour in Jersey and was sent to England at a very early...
Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Falls Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the United States, the name Falls is the 4,289th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 3
To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Fallss were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: