The Foots family has descended through the lines of the ancient
Normans that came to
England following their Conquest of
England in 1066. The Foots name reveals that an early member was a
person with remarkable feet. Nicknames were often used to distinguish a person by a noticeable physical characteristic. In this case the trait may have been very large feet, or feet which were deformed in some way. The name was originally derived from the Old English word
fot which meant
foot. Alternatively, the name could have been derived from a residence, in other words someone who lived at the "foot of a mountain". For the Footman variation, the obvious
occupational origin as a soldier in the infantry applies and not as a domestic servant.
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.Early Origins of the Foots family
The surname Foots was first found in
Cheshire where Ernui Fot was listed as an
undertenant in the
Domesday Book. The same reference lists Godwin Fot in
Kent so one can presume that the name was polygenetic.
Early History of the Foots family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Foots research.
Another 132 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1651, 1450, 1520, 1652, 1683, 1592, 1687, 1646 and 1649 are included under the topic Early Foots History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Foots Spelling Variations
Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime.
Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Foots family name include Foote, Foot, Fouts and others.
Early Notables of the Foots family (pre 1700)
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Foots Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Foots family to Ireland
Some of the Foots family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in
Ireland is included in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Foots family to the New World and Oceana
To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Foots family to immigrate North America:
Foots Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Mary Foots, aged 38, originally from County Down, who arrived in New York in 1906 aboard the ship "Caledonia" from Londonderry, Ireland [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
"New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JFXH-H6R : 6 December 2014), Mary Foots, 14 Oct 1906; citing departure port Londonderry, arrival port New York, ship name Caledonia, NARA microfilm publication T715 and M237 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). - Andrew Foots, aged 48, who arrived in New York in 1914 aboard the ship "Pastores" from Havana, Cuba [3]CITATION[CLOSE]
"New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JJ3W-GJC : 6 December 2014), Andrew Foots, 04 Mar 1914; citing departure port Havana, Cuba, arrival port New York, ship name Pastores, NARA microfilm publication T715 and M237 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). - Albert Edward Foots, aged 11, originally from New York, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Rotterdam" from Boulogne-Sur-Mer, France [4]CITATION[CLOSE]
"New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J64V-P3T : 6 December 2014), Albert Edward Foots, 07 Sep 1919; citing departure port Boulogne-Sur-Mer, arrival port New York, ship name Rotterdam, NARA microfilm publication T715 and M237 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). - Daniel Foots, aged 21, originally from Belfast, Ireland, who arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "Cedric" from Liverpool, England [5]CITATION[CLOSE]
"New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J6J7-SY9 : 6 December 2014), Daniel Foots, 09 May 1921; citing departure port Liverpool, arrival port New York, ship name Cedric, NARA microfilm publication T715 and M237 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
Contemporary Notables of the name Foots (post 1700)
- Stephen Edward Foots (b. 1968), British businessman, CEO of Croda International