Furstal History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland
• England

Etymology of Furstal

The Anglo-Norman Conquest of Ireland lead by Strongbow introduced the first non-Gaelic elements into Irish nomenclature. These Anglo-Normans brought some traditions to Ireland that were not readily found within Gaelic system of hereditary surnames. One of the best examples of this is the local surname. Local surnames, such as Furstal, were taken from the name of a place or a geographical feature where the person lived, held land, or was born. These surnames were very common in England, but were almost non-existent within Ireland previous to the conquest. The earliest surnames of this type came from Normandy, but as the Normans moved, they often created names in reference to where they actually resided. Therefore, some settlers eventually took names from Irish places. Originally, these place names were prefixed by "de," which means "from" in French. This type of prefix was eventually either made a part of the surname, if the place name began with a vowel, or was eliminated entirely. The Furstal family originally lived near a paddock, which is a small grassy enclosed area in which horses can graze and exercise. The surname Furstal is derived from a dialectical word which means paddock. The surname Furstal belongs to the large category of Anglo-Norman habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Furstal family

Early History of the Furstal family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Furstal research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1359 and 1682 are included under the topic Early Furstal History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Furstal Spelling Variations

Medieval scribes and church officials spelled the names as they sounded, so a name was often spelled many different ways during the lifetime of a single person. The investigation of the origin of the name Furstal revealed many spelling variations including Forristal, Forristall, Forrestal, Forrestall, Forrestell, Forestal, Forestel, Forestall, Forestell, Forstal, Forstall, Furstal and many more.

Early Notables of the Furstal family

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

Migration of the Furstal family

The Irish emigration during the late 18th and 19th century contributed to the melting pot of nationalities in North America, and the building of a whole new era of industry and commerce in what was seen as a rich, new land. Ireland'sGreat Potato Famine resulted in the worst economic and social conditions in the island's history. And in response to the hunger, disease, and poverty, during this decade the total number of emigrants to leave for North America rivaled all the previous years combined. Those from this decade that arrived on North American shores were not warmly welcomed by the established population, but they were vital to the rapid development of the industry, agriculture, and infrastructure of the infant nations of the United States and what would become Canada. Research into early immigration and passenger lists has shown many people bearing the name Furstal: Richard Forestall who settled in Barbados in 1680; and on the island of Teneriffe; James Forrestill settled in New York state in 1842; James Forrestel landed in New York State in 1842.