Forstyle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland
• England

Etymology of Forstyle

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 Forstyle, 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 Forstyle family originally lived near a paddock, which is a small grassy enclosed area in which horses can graze and exercise. The surname Forstyle is derived from a dialectical word which means paddock. The surname Forstyle 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 Forstyle family

Early History of the Forstyle family

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

Forstyle Spelling Variations

A single person's name was often spelt simply as it sounded by medieval scribes and church officials. An investigation into the specific origins the name Forstyle has revealed that such a practice has resulted in many spelling variations over the years. A few of its variants include: Forristal, Forristall, Forrestal, Forrestall, Forrestell, Forestal, Forestel, Forestall, Forestell, Forstal, Forstall, Furstal and many more.

Early Notables of the Forstyle family

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

Migration of the Forstyle family

In the 1840s, Ireland experienced a mass exodus to North America due to the Great Potato Famine. These families wanted to escape from hunger and disease that was ravaging their homeland. With the promise of work, freedom and land overseas, the Irish looked upon British North America and the United States as a means of hope and prosperity. Those that survived the journey were able to achieve this through much hard work and perseverance. Early immigration and passenger lists revealed many bearing the name Forstyle: 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.