Fforbes — Family Name, Records and Arms

Spelling was not fixed until the modern era, so Forbes could easily become Fforbes. Name scholars give the meaning as “From the lands of Forbes”.

A variant of Forbes

The extra “f” in Fforbes is a spelling habit rather than a different name. Spellings drifted because names were written down by ear in parish books, tax rolls and passenger lists. Other spellings include Forbess and Forbis.

Fforbes coat of arms

Heraldry is personal: arms associated with the Forbes surname were borne by specific families, and sharing the name does not mean sharing the blazon.

Get the complete Fforbes report, with a museum-style coat of arms.