Folker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Folker reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Folker family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Folker is based on the Germanic personal name Fulcher. It is composed of the elements folk, which means people, and hari, which means army.

Early Origins of the Folker family

The surname Folker was first found in Lincolnshire and Derbyshire where they were granted lands about the time of William the Conqueror. Historically, the Fulchers were known as the Champions of Burgundy and records were found of the name spelt Fulchere in Normandy (1180-1195). 1 The name could have also been derived from the Ango-Saxon word "folgere", in other words a follower, an attendant, a free-man who did not have a house of his own. 2

Early History of the Folker family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Folker research. Another 168 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1170, 1272, 1273, 1284, 1307, 1379, 1617, 1690, 1737, 1795, 1803, 1830, 1855 and 1893 are included under the topic Early Folker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Folker Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Folker has been recorded under many different variations, including Fulcher, Fulger, Fulker, Fucher, Fullager, Folker, Foucar, Foulger, Futcher, Folger, Fugler, Fuche, Fuge, Fuidge, Fudge, Foutch and many more.

Early Notables of the Folker family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Walter Fulcher of Lincolnshire, Thomas Fulcher (1737-1803), a British architect, George Williams Fulcher (1795-1855), a well-known poet, and John...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Folker Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Folker family to Ireland

Some of the Folker family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Folker family

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Folkers were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America: John Folger, who settled in Massachusetts in 1630; John Fulcher, who purchased land in Virginia in 1652; William Fulcher, who came to Maryland in 1669.

Contemporary Notables of the name Folker (post 1700) +

Arnold F. Folker, American Republican politician, Candidate for Delegate to Michigan State Constitutional Convention from Wayne County 20th District, 1961 3
Arnold F. Folker, American politician, Village President of Garden City, Michigan, 1930 3
Folker Bohnet (b. 1937), German actor and director from Berlin, known for The Bridge (1959), Der Kaufmann von Venedig (1968) and Großer Mann was nun? (1967)

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html