Fort
A surname meaning “strong” or “powerful,” sometimes also linked to a fortified place.
The #4,382 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 38,037 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is usually explained from Old French fort, meaning “strong” or “powerful,” ultimately from Latin fortis, “strong, brave.” In medieval naming, it could begin as a nickname for a vigorous person or as a descriptive label for someone associated with strength. In some cases, it may also have been influenced by place-names or by the same word used for a fortified place.
History
The name appears in medieval English records and was noted by 19th-century surname writers as an old nickname-form. It also overlaps with place-based uses of fort- in surnames and with related forms such as Fortescue. In the United States, Fort is uncommon but established, with several thousand bearers in the 2010 census.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The medieval nickname could sound a bit teasing in a village, since it literally called someone “strong.”
From the historical record
“shire. FORT. Fr. Le Fort. Strong, powerful. FORTESCUE. Doubtless from O. Fr. foi-teesm, " strong shield," referring proba- bly to such a weapon carried by the pri- mary bearer of the name. This, together with the punning motto of the family, " Forte ScuiMm salus ditcmn," ' a strong shield is the safety of…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom