Surname Fouldes - Meaning and Origin

Fouldes: What does the surname Fouldes mean?

The last name Fouldes is of English origin. The name is thought to be a variant of the Old Germanic name Foteles, which in turn derives from the Old English word 'fotell’, meaning ‘footstool’. As such, the surname suggests that either the original bearer of the name was a maker or seller of footstools, or they lived in a settlement where such an occupation was more common.

The Fouldes family has a deep history in England, particularly in the counties of Dorset, Devon, and Cornwall. Many of their oldest settlements appear in historical records dating back to the 16th century. In addition, records of the name at the Guildhall of London and in Liverpool, a major port city of the time, indicate that some Fouldes would have traveled the trading routes of the day and may have become involved in merchant activities.

Today, the Fouldes last name has spread to many countries around the world. Families tracing their heritage from this old line of Englishmen may still find reminders of its past in their everyday lives, such as when objects are used that were once associated with the sale of footstools, or when a phrase referencing the original meaning of ‘fotell’ is still used.

Fouldes: Where does the name Fouldes come from?

The surname Fouldes is primarily found in the United Kingdom, particularly in England. The few families that bear this name still reside in the traditional heartlands of the family, including the counties of Lincolnshire, Suffolk, Essex, Norfolk and Yorkshire. It is likely that most of these families originally come from just one or two common Fouldes ancestors who established multiple lines of descent over many centuries.

Outside of the United Kingdom, the surname Fouldes has spread relatively sparsely across other parts of the world, especially the United States. This can be attributed to the large number of migrants that left the United Kingdom in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in search of a better life. As a result, today there are small but distinct pockets of Fouldes families in countries such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa – all of which had significant British immigration influxes in the recent past.

The records for the number of individuals bearing the name Fouldes are hard to come by, but it is safe to say that this surname is uncommon both in the United Kingdom and abroad.

Variations of the surname Fouldes

The surname Fouldes is an English toponymic name, meaning "one from Foulden" which is a place in Norfolk, England that was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. The variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for Fouldes include Fouleds, Folldes, Foulds, Fouldiss, Fouldis, Foguldes, Fouled, Fouldyer, Fouldice and Fogulder.

There is a small village called Foulden in West Norfolk about 20 miles east of King’s Lynn. The earliest record of this name is spelled as Fueld in the Domesday Book. The name is derived from northern English for a mud-filled pool in which fowls live.

Fouldes is generally spelled as "Fouldes" or "Foulds." It is an uncommon name, and is mainly found in eastern England. The variant Fouldyer has been recorded as far back as the 16th century in Yorkshire.

In records of the 1300s, the spelling variants Foguldes and Fouldis can be found. Fouldice is also a variant spelling found in Yorkshire records from the reign of Elizabeth I.

In the United States, the variant Fogulder is also used, perhaps due to the high number of immigrants from England during the 19th century.

Overall, Fouldes is a relatively uncommon surname. Most spellings of the surname will all be related in origin, but certain variants have been slightly altered over the course of history.

Famous people with the name Fouldes

• Joe Foulds: British actor.
• Gordon Foulds: Canadian politician and lawyer.
• Mike Foulds: British theatre and film actor.
• Charles Foulds: British architect.
• William Fouldes: British-born actor.
• Owen Foulds: Canadian politician and lawyer.
• Christopher Foulds: British sculptor.
• Robert Fouldes: British actor and playwright.
• William Booth Foulds: British writer, poet and critic.
• Reverend Abraham Fouldes: Scottish minister of the Church of England.
• Edward Fouldes: British soldier and politician.
• John Fouldes: British missionary to India.
• George Fouldes: British Army officer.
• Murray Fouldes: Canadian hockey player and coach.
• Duncan Fouldes: Canadian politician.
• Ewan Fouldes: British actor and musician.
• Reverend Holt Fouldes: British-born Anglican minister.
• Andrew Fouldes: British actor and singer.
• William Fouldes-Brown: military personnel and politician in the Second Boer War.
• Cornelius Fouldes: British pilot who died during the First World War.

Other surnames

FouldFoulds