Fowlkes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales

Etymology of Fowlkes

What does the name Fowlkes mean?

The old Welsh surname Fowlkes comes from the popular personal name Fulk. This forename of Norman origin originally came from one of a number of Germanic personal names with the first portion "folk-," which means "people."

Early Origins of the Fowlkes family

The surname Fowlkes was first found in Denbighshire (Welsh: Sir Ddinbych), a historic county in Northeast Wales, created by the Laws in Wales Act 1536, where they held a family seat at "Yr Eifiad" from very ancient times, some say before the 9th century.

Another source notes "the pedigree is deduced from Marchudd ap Cynan, lord of Brynffenigi, who flourished in the ninth century. The name appears to have been borrowed from Ffoulk ap Thomas, who lived early in the sixteenth century, and whose descendants have ever since borne it." 1 And that "an early form of a capital F was ff." 2

Sir Martin Browne ffolkes, 1st Baronet, FRS (1749-1821) was an English Baronet and Member of Parliament. Son of William Folkes, he chose to revert his name back to the ffolkes spelling to better note his heritage. The Baronetcy continues to today using the same spelling with Sir Robert Francis Alexander ffolkes, 7th Baronet (born 1943.)

Early History of the Fowlkes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fowlkes research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1290, 1660, 1661, 1676, 1678, 1679, 1691 and 1747 are included under the topic Early Fowlkes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fowlkes Spelling Variations

Compared to other ancient cultures found in the British Isles, the number of Welsh surnames are relatively few, but there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations. These spelling variations began almost as soon as surname usage became common. People could not specify how to spell their own names leaving the specific recording up to the individual scribe or priest. Those recorders would then spell the names as they heard them, causing many different variations. Later, many Welsh names were recorded in English. This transliteration process was extremely imprecise since the Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh used many sounds the English language was not accustomed to. Finally, some variations occurred by the individual's design: a branch loyalty within a family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were indicated by spelling variations of one's name. The Fowlkes name over the years has been spelled Foulke, Foulks, Foulkes and others.

Early Notables of the Fowlkes family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was William Foulkes (died 1691), a Welsh cleric and writer, Rector of Cwm in Denbighshire in 1660, of Llanfyllin and of Llanbrynmair in 1661, positions he held until his death.Peter Foulkes (1676-1747), was a scholar and divine, was the third son of Robert Foulkes of Llechryd, Denbighshire, deputy Baron of the court of exchequer of Chester. 3On the infamous side...
Another 68 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fowlkes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fowlkes Ranking

In the United States, the name Fowlkes is the 4,854^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 4

Fowlkes migration to the United States +

Many people from Wales joined the general migration to North America in the 19th and 20th centuries, searching for land, work, and freedom. Like the many other immigrants from the British Isles, they made a significant contribution to the development of Canada and the United States. The Welsh and their descendents added a rich cultural tradition to the newly developed towns, cities, and villages. An investigation of the immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Fowlkes:

Fowlkes Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mary E. D. Fowlkes, aged 50, who immigrated to the United States, in 1910
Jane Massey Fowlkes, aged 23, who immigrated to Madison, Wisc., in 1922
Robert W. Fowlkes, aged 30, who landed in America, in 1924

Contemporary Notables of the name Fowlkes (post 1700) +

Tremaine Fowlkes (b. 1976), American NBA basketball player
Lauren Fowlkes (b. 1988), American soccer player
Herman Fowlkes Jr. (1919-1993), American jazz musician
Curtis Fowlkes, American jazz trombonist
Charles Fowlkes (1916-1980), American baritone saxophonist, best known for his work with Count Basie
Alan Fowlkes (b. 1958), retired American Major League Baseball player
Will Fowlkes, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Georgia, 2008 5
M. L. Fowlkes, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Alabama, 1896 5

The Fowlkes Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Jure, non dono
Motto Translation: By right, not by gift.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. 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 2016, February 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html