Fowle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancient roots of the Fowle family name are in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The name Fowle comes from when the family lived in the region beside an enclosed pen for animals. The surname Foulds or Faulds is derived from the hamlet of Folds in the parish of Bolton in the northern county of Lancashire. That town's name, in turn, is derived from the ancient term "fold" meaning a sheep enclosure. 1

Alternatively, the name could have been denoted for a ‘Worker at the fold(s) or cattle-pen(s)’, from the Old English ƒalod, later f?ld, Middle English fold. 2

"Foulds is a Lancashire surname, so that we need not be surprised by the pronunciation. " 1

Early Origins of the Fowle family

The surname Fowle was first found in Yorkshire where Hugh del Foldis was listed at Wakefield in 1275. Later, Adam in le Fold was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Derbyshire in 1327 and John atte Fold was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Somerset in 1327. The Subsidy Rolls for Staffordshire include a listing for Adam de Falde in 1332 and in the same year, John del ffald was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Cumberland (Cumbria). 2

Early History of the Fowle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fowle research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1530 and 1597 are included under the topic Early Fowle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fowle Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Fowle has appeared include Foulds, Faulds, Fowlds, Foulls, Faulls, Fowldes and many more.

Early Notables of the Fowle family

Distinguished members of the family include

Thomas Fowle (ca...

Fowle migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Fowle arrived in North America very early:

Fowle Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Miss Ann Fowle, aged 32, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Susan and Ellin" 3

Fowle 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:

Fowle Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Isaac Fowle, aged 28, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Westminster" in 1843
Ann Fowle, aged 23, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Westminster" in 1843
William Fowle, aged 21, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Westminster" in 1843

Contemporary Notables of the name Fowle (post 1700) +

Carrie Farnsworth Fowle (1854-1917), born Caroline Palmer Farnsworth, an American missionary born in Turkey
E Percy Fowle, American Chief Scout of the Boy Scouts of South Africa from 1953 to 1958
Daniel Gould Fowle (1831-1891), American politician, 46th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1889 until his death in 1891
Daniel Fowle (1715-1787), American printer before and during the American Revolution, founder of The New Hampshire Gazette in 1756
Farnsworth Fowle (1915-2016), American foreign correspondent for The New York Times, Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), and Time magazine, granddaughter of Carrie Farnsworth Fowle
Bruce Fowle, American architect who co-founded Fox & Fowle Architects in 1978 and is now Founding Principal Emeritus at FXCollaborative
James M. Fowle, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Army Air Forces, during World War II, credited with 8 aerial victories
William Fowle, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Michigan, 1964 4
William Fowle, American politician, Mayor of Newton, Massachusetts, 1878-79 4
Otto Fowle (b. 1852), American Republican politician, Mayor of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, 1889-91; Member of Michigan State Senate 30th District, 1909-12 4
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Fowle family +

HMS Hood

Mr. Henry J Fowle (b. 1922), English Able Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Houghton-le-Spring, County Durham, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 5

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm