Forestyle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland
• England

Etymology of Forestyle

The Anglo-Norman Conquest of Ireland lead by Strongbow introduced the first non-Gaelic elements into Irish nomenclature. These Anglo-Normans brought some traditions to Ireland that were not readily found within Gaelic system of hereditary surnames. One of the best examples of this is the local surname. Local surnames, such as Forestyle, were taken from the name of a place or a geographical feature where the person lived, held land, or was born. These surnames were very common in England, but were almost non-existent within Ireland previous to the conquest. The earliest surnames of this type came from Normandy, but as the Normans moved, they often created names in reference to where they actually resided. Therefore, some settlers eventually took names from Irish places. Originally, these place names were prefixed by "de," which means "from" in French. This type of prefix was eventually either made a part of the surname, if the place name began with a vowel, or was eliminated entirely. The Forestyle family originally lived near a paddock, which is a small grassy enclosed area in which horses can graze and exercise. The surname Forestyle is derived from a dialectical word which means paddock. The surname Forestyle belongs to the large category of Anglo-Norman habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Forestyle family

Early History of the Forestyle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Forestyle research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1359 and 1682 are included under the topic Early Forestyle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Forestyle Spelling Variations

Medieval scribes and church officials often spelled the name Forestyle as it sounded to them. As a result, the name Forestyle, over the ages, has attained many spelling variations including Forristal, Forristall, Forrestal, Forrestall, Forrestell, Forestal, Forestel, Forestall, Forestell, Forstal, Forstall, Furstal and many more.

Early Notables of the Forestyle family

More information is included under the topic Early Forestyle Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Forestyle family

Ireland experienced a dramatic decrease in its population during the 19th century. This was in a great measure, a response to England's imperialistic policies. Hunger and disease took the lives of many Irish people and many more chose to leave their homeland to escape the horrific conditions. North America with its promise of work, freedom, and land was an extremely popular destination for Irish families. For those families that survived the journey, all three of these things were often attained through much hard work and perseverance. Research into early immigration and passenger lists revealed many immigrants bearing the name Forestyle: Richard Forestall who settled in Barbados in 1680; and on the island of Teneriffe; James Forrestill settled in New York state in 1842; James Forrestel landed in New York State in 1842.