Falla History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
England
Italy

Falla is one of the many new names that came to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Falla family 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

Early Origins of the Falla family

The surname Falla 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

Early History of the Falla family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Falla 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 Falla History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Falla Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Falla, Fala, Falle, Falls, Fallows, Fallis and many more.

Early Notables of the Falla family

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 Falla Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Falla migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Falla or a variant listed above were:

Falla Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Judith Falla, who settled in Wisconsin sometime between 1809 and 1874
Franz Falla, who settled in Baltimore in 1876

Falla migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Falla Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Nicholas Falla who settled in Prince Edward Island in 1805
George Falla, who arrived in Ontario in 1871

Contemporary Notables of the name Falla (post 1700) +

Wayne Falla (b. 1970), former English cricketer
Maiken Caspersen Falla (b. 1990), Norwegian Olympic gold and two-time World Championship bronze medalist cross-country skier
Manuel de Falla y Matheu (1876-1946), Spanish composer, one of Spain's most important musicians of the first half of the 20th century; his image was on Spain's 1970 100-pesetas banknote
Sir Robert Alexander Falla (1901-1979), New Zealand museum administrator and ornithologist
Alejandro Falla Ramirez (b. 1983), Colombian professional male tennis player

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)