Fastolf History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Fastolf family

The surname Fastolf was first found in Norfolk at the coastal town of Yarmouth (Great Yarmouth.) Fastolf was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 and later in 1291, Alexander, and William Fastolf were listed in the Feet of Fines of Suffolk. 1 Thomas Fastolf of Reedham and Great Yarmouth was one of the first records of the name. He was father to Nicholas Fastolf (died 1330), an English judge who is generally thought to have been the first judge to hold the office of Lord Chief Justice of Ireland and Thomas Fastolf (Fastolfe) who died in 1361, an English canon lawyer and Bishop of St David's.

Early History of the Fastolf family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fastolf research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1352, 1361, 1380 and 1459 are included under the topic Early Fastolf History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fastolf 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 Fastolf include Fastalf, Fastoff, Fastolf, Fastoff, Fastolfe and others.

Early Notables of the Fastolf family

Sir John Fastolf of Caister-on-Sea
Sir John Fastolf KG (1380-1459), an English knight during the Hundred Years War, inspiration for Shakespeare's Sir John Falstaff. For his efforts in France, he was granted large pacts of land by Henr...

Migration of the Fastolf family

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: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..

Contemporary Notables of the name Fastolf (post 1700) +

Sir John Fastolf (1378-1459), English soldier, who has enjoyed a more lasting reputation as in some part the prototype of Shakespeare's Falstaff

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)