Fouts History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Fouts comes from the ancient Norman culture that was established in Britain after the Conquest of 1066. It was a name for a person with remarkable feet. Nicknames were often used to distinguish a person by a noticeable physical characteristic. In this case the trait may have been very large feet, or feet which were deformed in some way. The name was originally derived from the Old English word fot which meant foot. Alternatively, the name could have been derived from a residence, in other words someone who lived at the "foot of a mountain". For the Footman variation, the obvious occupational origin as a soldier in the infantry applies and not as a domestic servant. 1

Early Origins of the Fouts family

The surname Fouts was first found in Cheshire where Ernui Fot was listed as an undertenant in the Domesday Book. The same reference lists Godwin Fot in Kent so one can presume that the name was polygenetic. 2

Another branch was found in the parish of Calstock in Cornwall. "The manor of Harwood or Harewood, which had been held under the dutchy of Cornwall by the family of Foote about fourscore years, was purchased in fee under the Land-tax Redemption Act in 1798, by John Pierson Foote, Esq. by whom it was sold to Thomas Bewes, Esq. Harewood House, which was built by Mr. Foote, is a handsome building situated about one mile from the church." 3

"Bodanua or Bodannan, [in the parish of St. Enoder, Cornwall] belonged for some time to the Footes of Lambesso, of whom it was purchased by Johnson Vivian, Esq." 3

Early History of the Fouts family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fouts research. Another 132 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1450, 1520, 1592, 1646, 1649, 1651, 1652, 1679, 1683, 1687, 1720, 1737, 1744, 1754, 1761, 1766, 1767, 1769, 1777, 1779, 1780, 1781, 1782, 1785, 1797, 1810, 1814, 1826, 1833, 1840 and 1867 are included under the topic Early Fouts History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fouts Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Foote, Foot, Fouts and others.

Early Notables of the Fouts family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Thomas Foote, 1st Baronet (1592-1687), English grocer in London, Sheriff of London in 1646 and Lord Mayor of the City of London in 1649.Jesse Foote(1744-1826), the English surgeon, was born at Charlton in Wiltshire in 1744. "He received a medical education in London, becoming a member of the Surgeons' Company, and about 1766 went to the West Indies, where he practised for three years in the island of Nevis, returning in 1769...
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fouts Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fouts Ranking

In the United States, the name Fouts is the 6,040^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Fouts family to Ireland

Some of the Fouts family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Fouts family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Fouts or a variant listed above were: Paul Foote who landed in Massachusetts in 1620.

Contemporary Notables of the name Fouts (post 1700) +

Bob Fouts (1921-2019), American Hall of Fame broadcaster, best known for his work on the San Francisco 49ers
Tom C. Fouts (1918-2004), American author and comedian more popularly known as Captain Stubby
Joshua Fouts (b. 1967), American digital media and cultural relations strategist
Roger S. Fouts (b. 1943), American primate researcher
Daniel Francis Fouts (b. 1951), retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League
W. H. Fouts, American Republican politician, Chair of Fulton County Republican Party, 1950 5
James R. Fouts (b. 1942), American politician, Mayor of Warren, Michigan, 2007- 5
Richard Lee Fouts (1933-2003), former professional Canadian football player with the Canadian Football League
Claude Fouts Purkitt (1875-1930), American Democratic Party politician, Member of California State Senate, 1914-22; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1916; Superior Court Judge in California, 1921-28; California Democratic State Chair, 1922-28
Major-General Harry Fouts Hazlett (1884-1960), American Commanding General 86th Division (1946) 6

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, March 12) Harry Hazlett. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Hazlett/Harry_Fouts/USA.html