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Fort History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Fort History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Germany
Italy

From the ancient and picturesque Italian region of Venice emerged a variety of distinguished names, including the notable surname Fort. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adopt a second name to identify themselves as populations grew and travel became more frequent. The process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames was not complete until the modern era, but the use of hereditary family names in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries. Italian hereditary surnames were developed according to fairly general principles and they are characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. Although the most traditional type of family name found in the region of Venice is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, local surnames are also found. Local names, which are the least frequent of the major types of surnames found in Italy, are derived from a place-name where the original bearer once resided or held land. Often Italian local surnames bore the prefix "di," which signifies emigration from one place to another, but does not necessarily denote nobility. The Fort family lived in Ferrara, one of the more prosperous cities at this early time. Records are found in 1322, when the Fortiboni family moved from Ferrara to Cesena.

Early Origins of the Fort family

The surname Fort was first found in Ferrara, a city and comune in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara. History dates the city back to 753. Records are found in 1322, when the Fortiboni family moved from Ferrara to Cesena.

Early History of the Fort family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fort research. The years 1419, 1465, 1508, 1590 and 1759 are included under the topic Early Fort History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fort Spelling Variations

In comparison with other European surnames, Italian surnames have a surprising number of forms. They reflect the regional variations and the many dialects of the Italian language, each with its own distinctive features. For example, in Northern Italy the typical Italian surname suffix is "i", whereas in Southern Italy it is "o". Additionally, spelling changes frequently occurred because medieval scribes and church officials often spelled names as they sounded rather than according to any specific spelling rules. The spelling variations in the name Fort include Forti, Forte, Fort, Fortis, Lo Forte, Fortezza, Fortiboni, Fortini, Fortino, Fortin, Forteguerri and many more.

Early Notables of the Fort family

Prominent among members of the family was

Niccol Forteguerri, a Cardinal and diplomat in Pistoia born in 1419. He earned his degree in canon law at the University of Bologna and went on to become an ecclesiastic. Antonio Forteguerri was a man...
Pier-Lorenzo Forteguerri was mayor of Bologna. Francesco Forti was Captain under Enrico II, King of France. Nicolo Forteguerri was Governor of the province of Viterbo and became Bishop of Teano, and C...

Fort Ranking

In the United States, the name Fort is the 3,127^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Fort is ranked the 505^th most popular surname with an estimated 8,878 people with that name. 2

Fort migration to the United States +

A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Fort:

Fort Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Marmaduke Fort, who landed in Maryland in 1653 3
John Fort, who arrived in Maryland in 1678 3
John Fort who settled in Maryland in 1685

Fort Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jean Fort, aged 30, who landed in Louisiana in 1720 3
Francis Fort, who settled in Virginia in 1736
Claude Fort, who settled in Louisiana in 1756
Andrew Fort, who arrived in New York in 1760
Andreas Fort, who settled in New York in 1771

Fort Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Lewis Emanuel Fort, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1804
C Fort, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 3
J. A. Fort settled in San Francisco, California in 1852
J. A. Fort, who settled in San Francisco in 1852
Joseph A. Fort, who settled in San Francisco in 1856
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Fort migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Fort Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Francis Fort, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749

Fort migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Fort Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

James Fort, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "John" in 1840 4
Harriet Mary Fort, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "John" in 1840 4
John Fort, aged 37, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Constance" 5

Fort migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Fort Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. William H Fort, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 26th September 1859 6
David Fort, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Black Eagle" in 1861 7
Elizabeth Fort, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Black Eagle" in 1861 7
Mary Anne Fort, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Black Eagle" in 1861 7
Jessie Fort, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Black Eagle" in 1861 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Fort (post 1700) +

Brigadier-General Guy Osborne Fort (1879-1942), American Commanding General Lanao Force (1942) 8
Charles Hoy Fort (1874-1932), American writer and researcher into anomalous phenomena
Marie-Louise Fort (1950-2022), French politician, Member of the National Assembly of France, born in Villeneuve-la-Guyard
Ricardo Fort (1968-2013), Argentine entrepreneur and television director
Jean Pierre Fort, French engineer, General Controller of the army, and Director of firms in Paris
Alain Roger Louis Fort, French lawyer and deputy in Paris
Jean Fort, former headmistress of Rodean
Karen Fort Hood (d. 2021), American judge who served as a judge of the 1st District of the Michigan Court of Appeals from 2003 to 2021
General Frank Fort Everest (1904-1983), American Commander-in-Chief of the US Air Forces in Europe (1957-1959) 9

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) JOHN from London 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840John.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CONSTANCE 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Constance.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, February 29) Guy Fort. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Fort/Guy_Osborne/USA.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, February 29) Frank Everest. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Everest/Frank_Fort/USA.html