Show ContentsFaithful History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Faithful family

The surname Faithful was first found in Norfolk where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year 1389 when William Feyth was recorded as a taxpayer.

Early History of the Faithful family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Faithful research. Another 72 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487, 1616, 1656, 1691 and 1701 are included under the topic Early Faithful History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Faithful Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Faithful include Faith, Faithful, Faithfull, Feyth, Feythfull, Feythful, Fathe, Fath and many more.

Early Notables of the Faithful family

Distinguished members of the family include William Faithorne, the Elder (1616-1691), English engraver and portrait-painter, born in London in 1616. His eldest son, William Faithorne, the Younger (1656-1701?), was a...
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Faithful Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Faithful migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Faithful Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William Faithful, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1777 1

Faithful migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Faithful Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Faithful, (b. 1768), aged 54, Irish soldier who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 14 years for uttering forged notes, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 3rd September 1822, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 2

Faithful migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Faithful Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Emily Faithful, aged 19, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Woodlark" in 1874

Contemporary Notables of the name Faithful (post 1700) +

  • Emily Faithful (1835-1895), English publisher and feminist


  1. 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)
  2. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt


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