Surname Foot - Meaning and Origin
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Foot: What does the surname Foot mean?
The last name Foot originates from the Old English word 'fot', meaning 'foot'. This surname likely began as a nickname for someone with especially large feet. It could have also been used to refer to someone known for their speed or agility on their feet. Some believe that the surname Foot also originated as a descriptive reference to the part of town where the family lived, for example near a river bank or a footbridge.
The Anglo-Saxon word fot has also been used to refer to the flatfish called plaice in addition to being a reference to the human foot. Therefore, the last name Foot may also have originated as a name for a fisherman. Surnames of this kind were very common during the Middle Ages.
In England, the last name Foot is most prevalent in the North West region. The name has also spread to other parts of the British Isles, including Scotland, where the variations Futt and Foote can be found. The name Foot is also sometimes found as Füß, Fuss and Fusse in Germany. In the United States, the earliest known record of this surname dates back to the late 17th century. It is also sometimes found as Futt or Futte.
Overall, the last name Foot appears to have many different origins and has spread from England to many other regions over time, especially in the United States. Today, it can be found all around the world.
Order DNA origin analysisFoot: Where does the name Foot come from?
The last name Foot is common in many parts of the United States and Canada, as well as in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, and other parts of the English-speaking world. In the United States, Foot can be seen as far south as Florida, with clusters in western states such as California, Oregon, and Washington, and in the Midwest and Northeast. Due to migration, the name can be found in many other places, such as Canada, Europe, India, China, Australia, and South America.
In the United States, the Foot surname is often associated with the Mid-West states of Michigan and Ohio, although many colonists and descendants of early settlers have spread throughout the country. Foots are known to trace their lineage back to English and Scottish roots, though presently the distribution of the name is widely diverse.
Foots typically live in suburban and rural areas, particularly the smaller villages and towns. They can be found among many different kinds of professions, such as manufacturing, sales, agriculture, finance, and technology. As such, the name Foot is especially common in the midwestern region of the United States. It is not as widely represented in larger cities, but it is present in some areas.
Overall, the Foot surname is a common name to come across in many places around the globe, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Europe, India, China, and South America.
Variations of the surname Foot
The surname Foot is an English name stemming from the occupation of a 'foot soldier', and later meaning those employed in a lower status role, such as a servant. The spelling for the surname is variable, and can be seen as Foote, Footes, Fote, Fowt, Foule and Foul. The variations and variants of Foot are similar to those of its close variant, Fout, which includes Foule and Fowt.
Foot also has several variants that come from different origins. For example, there is the Scottish variation Futt, from the name Fotterdum that comes from the Greek word 'pote', meaning 'to tread'. Similarly, Foute is a French variation derived from the Old Germanic name Fodeard, with 'foda', meaning 'to go'.
Other spellings of Foot can be found in Fouten, Foukes and Foukett, which are likely to be derived from the Middle Low German given name 'Fokke', which means ‘folk’ or 'people'. There is also the Dutch variant Fot, which is derived from the Latin 'pedes', which is translated as 'foot'. Lastly, there is the variant Foulds, which is derived from ‘folc’, meaning ‘people’ and ‘holts’ meaning ‘dead land’.
In conclusion, there are many different variants and spellings of the surname Foot, which stem from different origins. The most common variation is ‘Foote’, as well as ‘Fote’, 'Fowt', 'Footes', 'Foule', 'Foukett', 'Fouten', 'Fot', 'Futt', 'Foute' and 'Foulds'.
Famous people with the name Foot
- Clive Foot: English actor, best known for his role as Hobson in Upstairs Downstairs (1971-1975).
- Danielle Foot: Canadian Olympic swimmer.
- Willis Foot: Canadian politician, a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.
- Lewis Foot: English cricketer.
- Lucinda Foot: English cellist.
- Luke Foot: English actor who appeared in An Uninvited Guest (2012) and The Theory of Everything (2014).
- John Foot: British historian, academic and author specializing in the history of Italy.
- David Foot: Canadian journalist, author and economist.
- Joshua Foot: American film actor, appearing in Return of the Killer Tomatoes (1988) and The Terminator (1984).
- William Foot: English Anglican bishop, the Bishop of Chelmsford since 2018.