Show ContentsFettes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished surname Fettes is of Scottish origin. It is derived from "Fiddes," the name of a barony once known as Fothes or Futhos located in Foveran, Kincardineshire. The name is thought to be derived from the Gaelic "fiodhais," meaning "wood-place." 1

Early Origins of the Fettes family

The surname Fettes was first found in Kincardineshire, where the family claim descent from the old barony of Fides, anciently Futhos or Fothes, in the parish of Foveran. "Eadmund or Edmund de Fotheis and Alwinus or Aleuin, his son who witnessed two charters between 1200-1207, are probably the first recorded of the name. Fergus de Fothes, son of John de Fothes, received in 1289 from Alexander Cumyn, Earl of Buchan, a charter of the whole tenement of Fothes. Payments were made to John Fotis and to Walter de Fothes in 1328-9, Eustace de Futhes was collector of contributions in Aberdeenshire, 1373." 1

"William Fettes, grandfather of the founder of Fettes College, Edinburgh, was a native of Laurencekirk, Kincardineshire." 1

To the south in England, Emma Fete was listed in the Curai Regis Rolls for Oxfordshire in 1227; John le Fette was found in Berkshire in 1294; and John ffettys was found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 2

Early History of the Fettes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fettes research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1408, 1423, 1435, 1447, 1488, 1491, 1498, 1524, 1597, 1600, 1603, 1621, 1671, 1687, 1690, 1691, 1693 and 1725 are included under the topic Early Fettes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fettes Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Fiddes, Fotheis, Fuddes, Fudes, Futhes, Fouthas, Futhois, Fothes, Futhas, Fudas, Fittes, Fette and many more.

Early Notables of the Fettes family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Richard Fiddes (1671-1725), English divine and historian, the eldest son of John Fiddes. He was born in 1671 at Hunmanby, near Scarborough, but was brought up by an uncle who was vicar of Brightwell, Oxfordshire. "By him he was educated at a school at Wickham, near Scarborough. In October 1687 he...
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fettes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Fettes family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: 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 Fettes (post 1700) +

  • Sir William Fettes (1750-1836), 1st Baronet, Scottish merchant and philanthropist whose donations led to the foundation of Fettes College, Edinburgh 3
  • Peter Fettes, British BBC Radio presenter, active in the 1940s and 1950s
  • Hillair Fettes (1898-1971), Luxembourgian wrestler in the Greco-Roman featherweight event at the 1924 Summer Olympics
  • Christopher Fettes (b. 1937), English-born, Irish founder of the Irish Green Party and an honorary member of the International Vegetarian Union and of the World Esperanto Association
  • Dame Alison Fettes Richard DBE, DL (b. 1948), English academic, the 344th Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, the first female Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge
  • Sir William Fettes Douglas (1822-1891), Scottish landscape painter


The Fettes 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: Industria
Motto Translation: Industrious.


  1. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020


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