The ancient Norman culture that was established in England
after the Conquest of 1066 produced the name of Foat. It was given to 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. CITATION[CLOSE]
Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Early Origins of the Foat family
The surname Foat 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.
Early History of the Foat family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Foat research.Another 263 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1651, 1450, 1520, 1652, 1683, 1592, 1687, 1646 and 1649 are included under the topic Early Foat History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Foat Spelling Variations
Multitudes of spelling variations
are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans
introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Foote, Foot, Fouts and others.
Early Notables of the Foat family (pre 1700)
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Foat Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Foat family to Ireland
Some of the Foat family moved to Ireland
, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.Another 45 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Foat family to the New World and Oceana
Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland
, North America, and Australia
in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England
. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Foat or a variant listed above:
Foat Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Mary Foat, aged 23, who emigrated to America from Queenstown, in 1892
- H. Foat, aged 41, who landed in America, in 1893
Foat Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Charles Thomas Foat, aged 26, who emigrated to the United States from London, England, in 1907
- Easter Annie Foat, aged 24, who settled in America from London, England, in 1907
- Fredericka Foat, aged 0, who emigrated to the United States from London, England, in 1907
Foat Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- G.C. Foat, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Posthumous" in 1849 CITATION[CLOSE]
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The POSTHUMOUS 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Posthumous.htm
Contemporary Notables of the name Foat (post 1700)
- Virginia "Ginny" Foat (b. 1941), American politician and feminist
- Ginny Foat, American Democrat politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 2008 CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html