Foggs History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Foggs

What does the name Foggs mean?

The name Foggs is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in the area that was referred to as the fogge, a Middle English word which means the grass that was left to grow once the hay had been cut. 1 The surname Foggs also has occupational origins when it refers a farmer who had grazing cattle on the grass during the winter months.

Early Origins of the Foggs family

The surname Foggs was first found in Kent or perhaps Lancashire. Lower states that "it is an ancient Kentish family," 2 while Bardsley claims the name is a "well-known Lancashire surname. " 3

Early records of the family are scarce, but we did find record of Thomas Fogg, in Norfolk in 1509 4 and Robert Fogg, of Radcliffe, yeoman in Cheshire in 1592. 3

Phileas Fogg, the fictional protagonist Jules Verne's novel Around the World in Eighty Days was inspired by the American writer and adventurer William Perry Fogg (1826-1909.)

Early History of the Foggs family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Foggs research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1360, 1376, 1378, 1380, 1381, 1383, 1384, 1388, 1407, 1417, 1490, 1623, 1662, 1676, 1691 and 1718 are included under the topic Early Foggs History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Foggs Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Foggs are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Foggs include: Fogg, Fogge, Foge, Fog and others.

Early Notables of the Foggs family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Thomas Fogg (Fogge) (died 1407), English politician and soldier, a knight (1360), elected Member of Parliament for Kent in 1376, 1378, 1380, 1381, 1383, 1384, and 1388.Laurence Fogg or Fogge (1623-1718), was Dean of Chester in 1691. He was the son of Robert Fogg (who was...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Foggs Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Foggs migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Foggs Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Joseph Foggs, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Dorothy" in 1849 5

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The DOROTHY 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Dorothy.htm