Foreham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of Foreham

What does the name Foreham mean?

Hundreds of years ago, the Gaelic name used by the Foreham family in Ireland was Ó Fuarain or in some records Ó Furanain.

Early Origins of the Foreham family

The surname Foreham was first found in Connacht (Irish: Connachta, (land of the) descendants of Conn), where they were firstly known as Macgiollarnath or Mac Gilla na Naomh, meaning 'son of the devotee of the saints', which, through mistranslation and time emerged as an off-shoot of the main Clan through a chieftain O'Fuarthain or O'Fuarain, which, in English, became Foreham.

Early History of the Foreham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Foreham research. Another 142 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1355 and 1816 are included under the topic Early Foreham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Foreham Spelling Variations

The Middle Ages saw a great number of spelling variations for surnames common to the Irish landscape. One reason for these variations is the fact that surnames were not rigidly fixed by this period. The following variations for the name Foreham were encountered in the archives: Foran, Forhane, Forahan, Forhan, Foreham and many more.

Early Notables of the Foreham family

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

Foreham migration to the United States +

Death and immigration greatly reduced Ireland's population in the 19th century. For the native Irish people poverty, hunger, and racial prejudice was common. Therefore, thousands left their homeland to seek opportunity in North America. Those who survived the journey and the quarantine camps to which they arrived, were instrumental towards building the strong developing nations of the United States and the future Canada. By far, the largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. These were employed as construction or factory workers. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has shown early immigrants bearing the name Foreham:

Foreham Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jeremiah Foreham, who arrived in New York State in 1853

The Foreham 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: Lucrum Christi mihi
Motto Translation: Without Christ, there is no light.