Forthes History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsEtymology of ForthesWhat does the name Forthes mean? The lineage of the name Forthes begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It is a result of when they lived 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 Forthes familyThe surname Forthes 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 Forthes familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Forthes research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1270, 1379, 1610, 1659, 1660 and 1676 are included under the topic Early Forthes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Forthes Spelling VariationsOnly recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Forthes has undergone many spelling variations, including Forth, Forthe, Fourth, Fourthe, Forith, Foryth and many more. Early Notables of the Forthes familyMore information is included under the topic Early Forthes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Forthes familyTo escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Forthes were among those contributors: 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.
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