Forthe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancient history of the Forthe name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided at or near a forth, which is an area of the river that is shallow enough to be crossed by wading. The word forth developed into the modern English word ford. 1

Forth is "a well-known river of Scotland; also a village in Lancashire." 2

Early Origins of the Forthe family

The surname Forthe was first found in Hampshire where an early Latin form of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Bruman de la forda. 3 Later, Eadric æt Fordan was listed as an Old English Byname in Somerset 1100-1130. Reginald de la Forthe was found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 for Suffolk. In Sussex, Geoffrey atte Forde was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1296. 4

Another source notes that William de la Forde was listed in Kent in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 5 and in Somerset, William atte Forde was listed there 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 6

Early History of the Forthe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Forthe research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1270, 1379, 1610, 1659, 1660 and 1676 are included under the topic Early Forthe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Forthe Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Forthe include Forth, Forthe, Fourth, Fourthe, Forith, Foryth and many more.

Early Notables of the Forthe family

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

Migration of the Forthe family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Forthe or a variant listed above: John Forth landed in Virginia in 1623; and George Forth purchased land in Virginia in 1635; followed by Jennett in 1651; Ann Forth settled in New York in 1820.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.