Foys History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France-Alt
France
Ireland

Etymology of Foys

What does the name Foys mean?

The surname Foys originally appeared in Gaelic as "O Fiaich," derived from the word "fiach," which means "raven."

Early Origins of the Foys family

The surname Foys was first found in County Cavan, north Connacht, and Fermanagh, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the Foys family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Foys research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1172 and 1707 are included under the topic Early Foys History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Foys Spelling Variations

Many spelling variations of the surname Foys can be found in the archives. One reason for these variations is that ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in a single person being recorded under several different spellings. The different spellings that were found include Foy, Fee, Fye, Fey and others.

Early Notables of the Foys family

Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Foys Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Foys family

A great mass of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century, seeking relief from various forms of social, religious, and economic discrimination. This Irish exodus was primarily to North America. If the migrants survived the long ocean journey, many unfortunately would find more discrimination in the colonies of British North America and the fledgling United States of America. These newly arrived Irish were, however, wanted as a cheap source of labor for the many large agricultural and industrial projects that were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the western world. Early immigration and passenger lists indicate many people bearing the Foys name: Margaret Foy who settled in Maryland in 1732; Patrick Foy settled in New England in 1764; John Foy settled in Barbados in 1654; Hugh Foy settled in Barbados in 1680.