Names

Variant of Forest.

French cognate of Forester.

Denoted a keeper or one in charge of a forest, or one who has charge of growing timber in a forest (see Forest).

Originally belonged to a person who lived near or in a forest. It was probably originally derived, via Old French forest, from Latin forestam (silva) meaning “outer (wood)”.

Name given to someone who lived by a ford, possibly the official who maintained it. A famous bearer was the American industrialist Henry Ford (1863-1947).

Italian and Spanish cognate of Fontaine.

Derived from Old French fontane meaning “well, fountain”, a derivative of Latin fons.

Originally belonged to a person who lived near a dry spring, from Latin fons “well, spring” and siccus “dry”.

Of Italian origin, possibly from a place derived from fondo meaning “deep”. The family of Henry Fonda (1905-1982) came from the Netherlands, but they were of Genoese origin.

From Irish Ó Foghladha meaning “descendant of Foghlaidh”. The byname Foghlaidh meant “pirate, marauder, plunderer”.