Fowgies

This Scottish Border country provided the medieval background for this unusual variant of an unusual name. The origination is locational and derives from an area formerly known as "the lands of Fogo" in Berwickshire, with "Fogo" being a dialectal variant of the Olde pre 7th Century Anglo-Saxon - "Folk". In this case "Fogo" (Folk) was originally a personal name which is also found in the various hamlets of Foggieley, Foggiewill, Foggietown and Foggeyburn - all in Aberdeenshire. It is recorded that in the Rolls of 1166-1182, one Adam de Foghou witnessed a gift by the Earl Waldeve to the monks of Melrose Abbey of a pasture at Lammermuir, whilst in 1310 William de Foghou was the Abbot of the same abbey. By 1425 the name spelling changed to "de Fogo", when John de Fogo became Abbot of Melrose. In 1652 the name became Fogoe (Patrick Fogoe of Bleloch), Foggie(s), with Fowgie(s) being later patronymic forms. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard de Foggowe, which was dated 1352, granted a letter of safe conduct into England, during the reign of King David 11, of Scotland, 1329-1371. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.