Show ContentsFaulks History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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  • Wales
Faulks Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Faulks

What does the name Faulks mean?

The old Welsh surname Faulks comes from the popular personal name Fulk. This forename of Norman origin originally came from one of a number of Germanic personal names with the first portion "folk-," which means "people."

Early Origins of the Faulks family

The surname Faulks was first found in Denbighshire (Welsh: Sir Ddinbych), a historic county in Northeast Wales, created by the Laws in Wales Act 1536, where they held a family seat at "Yr Eifiad" from very ancient times, some say before the 9th century.

Another source notes "the pedigree is deduced from Marchudd ap Cynan, lord of Brynffenigi, who flourished in the ninth century. The name appears to have been borrowed from Ffoulk ap Thomas, who lived early in the sixteenth century, and whose descendants have ever since borne it." 1 And that "an early form of a capital F was ff." 2

Sir Martin Browne ffolkes, 1st Baronet, FRS (1749-1821) was an English Baronet and Member of Parliament. Son of William Folkes, he chose to revert his name back to the ffolkes spelling to better note his heritage. The Baronetcy continues to today using the same spelling with Sir Robert Francis Alexander ffolkes, 7th Baronet (born 1943.)

Early History of the Faulks family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Faulks research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1290, 1660, 1661, 1676, 1678, 1679, 1691 and 1747 are included under the topic Early Faulks History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Faulks Spelling Variations

Although there are not an extremely large number Welsh surnames, there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations of those surnames. This variety of spellings began almost immediately after the acceptance of surnames within Welsh society. As time progressed, these old Brythonic names were eventually were recorded in English. This process was problematic in that many of the highly inflected sounds of the native language of Wales could not be properly captured in English. Some families, however, did decide to modify their own names to indicate a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even a patriotic affiliation. The name Faulks has seen various spelling variations: Foulke, Foulks, Foulkes and others.

Early Notables of the Faulks family

William Foulkes (died 1691), a Welsh cleric and writer, Rector of Cwm in Denbighshire in 1660, of Llanfyllin and of Llanbrynmair in 1661, positions he held until his death. Peter Foulkes (1676-1747), was a scholar and divine, was the third son of Robert Foulkes of Llechryd, Denbighshire, deputy Baron of the court of exchequer of Chester. 3 On the infamous side, Robert Foulkes (d. 1679) was a vicar of Stanton Lacy...
Another 68 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Faulks Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Faulks Ranking

the United States, the name Faulks is the 17,778th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Faulks migration to the United States +

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many people from Wales joined the general migration to North America in search of land, work, and freedom. These immigrants greatly contributed to the rapid development of the new nations of Canada and the United States. They also added a rich and lasting cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. Investigation of immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Faulks:

Faulks Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William Faulks, aged 34, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Brighton" in 1828 5
  • Thomas Faulks, aged 27, Irish settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Frankfort" in 1840 5
  • William Faulks, aged 51, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Gladiator" in 1841 5
  • John Faulks, aged 20, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "United States" in 1844 5
  • John Faulks, aged 21, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Arkuright" in 1866 5
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Faulks Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Catherine Faulks, aged 34, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Ivernia" in 1903 5
  • Percy Wm Chas Faulks, aged 28, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Ivernia" in 1903 5
  • Miss Faulks, British settler who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Orontes" in 1907 6
  • Mrs. Faulks, British settler who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Orontes" in 1916 6
  • Mr. A. Faulks, British settler who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Esperance Bay" in 1925 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Faulks migration to Australia +

Faulks Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • John Faulks, aged 43, a carpenter, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Magdalena" 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Faulks (post 1700) +

  • Barton Faulks, American actor, known for Edge (1988) of the Axe, Future-Kill (1985) and Freeze (2015)
  • Ben Faulks, American actor, known for Warrior Queen (2003), Perfect Eyes and CBeebies Panto: Strictly Cinderella (2011)
  • Lynne Faulks, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 2004 8
  • Arlynne L. Faulks, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1996 9
  • Sebastian Charles Faulks CBE (b. 1953), British novelist, journalist, and broadcaster, brother of Edward Faulks, known for his work on Charlotte Gray (2001), On Green Dolphin Street and Faulks on Fiction (2011)
  • Edward Peter Lawless Faulks QC (b. 1950), Baron Faulks, an English barrister and Queen's Counsel, Minister of State for Civil Justice and Legal Policy (2014-)

The Faulks Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Jure, non dono
Motto Translation: By right, not by gift.
  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. Ellis Island Search retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
  6. National Records Search retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Gallery151/dist/JGalleryViewer.aspx?B=9255624&S=6&N=9&R=0#/SearchNRetrieve/NAAMedia/ShowImage.aspx?B=9255624&T=P&S=1
  7. South Australian Register Friday 26th August 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Magdalena 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/magdalena1853.shtml
  8. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, March 18) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html

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