7,892 Global FOULKES Family Members

FOULKES Family History

Recorded in a number of spellings including Fakes, Faulks, Faulkes, Fawkes, Fawks, Fawlks, Fawlkes, Foulks, Foulkes, Fowkes and others this famous surname is arguably Norman-French, and was introduced into the British Isles around the time of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It derives however from the pre 6th century Germanic given name of Falco meaning falcon, through the later Faulques. This name in medieval times was probably a nickname surname for a person thought to resemble a falcon, perhaps being fierce or rapacious, or in some cases, the complete opposite. The surname is early 13th century as shown below and examples of recordings from thsi period taken at random include John Fakes in the Subsidy Tax rolls of the county of Essex in 1327, and Robert Faukes in the Subsidy Tax rolls of Sussex in the same year...