The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, “Amsterdam Records of the Fonda Family” states: “In Frisian records van der Meer did not find any mention of the name Fonda, but in the vicinity of Kollum in northeast Friesland, where Benedictus Jacobse (Fonda) lived, he came across the names Banda, Ronda and Sinda. He also noted that in 1580 Benedictus was manager of an estate near Kollum called ‘Foyngha,’ and there was a chance that ‘Fonda’ was a corruption of that name.”
Eagum, Netherlands
Continuing from the above document, “Gillis (Jelles, pronounced “Yelles”) Fonda first appears in America in the Rensselaerwyck records on October 15, 1651 when he requested court permission to distill liquor in the Green Bos, in the house belonging to Evert Pels, next to a brewery. The date of his arrival in the colony or on what vessel he arrived is not in the records. According to the publication of the banns for his marriage to Hester Douwess on Jan. 19, 1641, he was from Agum or Aegum (or Eagum), a small village in the present municipality of Idaarderadeel in the Province of Friesland, the Netherlands. He was at that time 25 years old and his parents were deceased. Hester was from Amsterdam and 24 years old. Her stepmother Elsgen Douwes assisted her at the banns. They were married at Diemen, on February 10, 1641. Diemen is a place close to Amsterdam.”
The site of Jilles Douwe (Fonda) farm in Eagum, Netherlands before he and family left for America in 1650 has been located:
Eagum Farmhouse
Eagum Streetsign
Eagum Aerial Photo
Photos courtesy of Peter de Haan (1st 2 photos) and Liuwe Douwes van der Meer (3rd photo), both distant cousins.
See this location in Google Maps. (Distances: Eagum is 153 km northeast of Amsterdam and 36 km southwest from Kollum. Diemen is 8 km southeast from Amsterdam.)
Greetings to fellow Fonda Family members who are exploring their lineage… and to others who are doing genealogy research, or are just browsing for information. The Fonda Family in America has a rich heritage and there are many fascinating stories of perseverance, integrity and achievement… a truly great American legacy which is still unfolding. I hope you will find this report useful and that this database continues to grow.
There are currently over 4000 Fondas in the Main Family Line (6000 including spouses) over a 400-year time span. There are another 1500 Fondas identified, but not yet placed (Strays, for the lack of a better term). As of 2005, there are approximately 900 households world-wide with Fonda surnames listed… about 500 in America, 200 in Italy, followed distantly by France, Slovenia and Canada. The majority of the American line is descendant from Jellis Douw Fonda (1614-1659) who migrated from Holland to American in about 1650. The link back to Italy is still uncertain.
This project is limited to just the Fonda surname (and its spelling variants), which includes only those born with the Fonda surname and their spouses. This means that wive’s parents and daughter’s children are not included. There are separate sections broken out for Allied Early Families (nearly 400 ancestors of pre-1800 marriages) and Other European Immigrants (over 600 Fonda immigrants not in the main family line). There are also about 70 Black Fondas in the Strays section, with some links back to their likely slave owners prior to the Civil War. There is good evidence of at least four family lines of former slaves who retained the Fonda family name.
Recent additions include:
– many new immigration and ship passenger records
– expanded entries from global listings, except Italy and Slovenia
– all available court, land and probate records
– all available Canadian Phone & Address listings
– all available info from classmates.com
– correspondence with dozens of distant cousins
Future work will concentrate on:
– more research into historical newspapers
– more research into Italian/Slovenian roots and current branches
– more research into current Rest-of-World branches
– include available info from linkedin.com and other social networking sites
– seeking gravestone photos and pre-1950 family photos
I have enjoyed putting this project together, and I was gratified to find so much information… thanks to some excellent previous work, collaboration with other researchers, some great library resources and the ever-expanding Internet mass of information. Please feel free to send me an e-mail with comments or questions… this is a living document and is never totally complete.
I am currently working on more recent generations based on public records and feedback from our many Fonda cousins who have found the website or database. The Rootsweb on-line database does not display people born after 1930, but the GNO, GED and PDF files linked above all have everything included. Although this is all public information, please respect other people’s privacy. The message boards on Genealogy.com and Ancestry.com are good places to make inquiries. The latest update of the database files are posted at www.fonda.org and worldconnect.rootsweb.com. Please send any inquiries or comments to webmaster(at)fonda.org.
[R001a] Early Irish in Old Albany, N.Y.: with special mention of Jan Andriessen, “De Iersman Van Dublingh”, Danaher, Franklin M., Boston, MA, American-Irish Historical Society, 1903, p. 17
[R002] Contributions for the Genealogies of the First Settlers of the Ancient County of Albany from 1630 to 1800; Pearson, Jonathan; J. Munsell Co.; Albany, NY; 1872
[R003] Collections on the History of Albany: from its Discovery to the Present Time, with Notices of its Public Institutions, and Biographical Sketches of Citizens Deceased; Anonymous; J. Munsell Co.; Albany, NY; 1871; Vol. I-IV
[R003a] Noted Living Albanians and State Officials: A series of biographical sketches (1891); Harsha, D. A. (David Addison); Weed, Parsons and Co.; Albany, NY; 1891; 524 pgs.
[R004b] American Ancestry: giving the Name and Descent, in the Male Line, of Americans whose Ancestors Settled in the United States previous to the Declaration of Independence; Hughes, Thomas P.; J. Munsell Co.; Albany, NY; 1887; Vol. I, p.28
[R006] Biography and Genealogy Master Index: Gale Research Co.; Detroit, MI; 2003
[R022] Lineage Books of the Charter Members: National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution; Washington, DC; 1938; Vol. I-CLII
[R023] Daughters of the American Revolution: Patriot Index, Centennial Edition; Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution; Washington, DC; 1990
[R023a] Founders and Patriots of America Index; National Society of Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America; Mrs. Herman E. Weston, National President; Geneological Publishing Co., Inc.; Washington, DC; 1909
[R032]Early American Families: the Williams, Moore, McKitrick, Fonda, VanAlen, Lanning, King, Justice, Cunningham, Longacre, Swanson and Cox families: with numerous related families embracing the ancestors of perhaps 100,000 or more, covering over 330 years, from 1580 to 1916; Williams, Rev. W. A.; W.A. Williams; Philadelphia, PA; 1916; 65 pgs
[R033a] Illustrated History of Arkansas Valley, Colorado: History of Lake County, O. L. Baskin, Chicago, 1881.
[R034] The Compendium of American Genealogy: The Standard Genealogical Encyclopedia of the First Families of America (1600s-1800s); Virkus, Frederick Adam; Genealogical Publishing Co.; Baltimore, MD; 1968
[R060] The Yearbook of the Holland Society of New York; F.A. Bassette Co.; Bergen Book; New York, NY; Vol. 1906, 1922-1923
[R060b] Biographical Cyclopedia of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, John M. Gresham Co., Chicago and Philadelphia, 1896.
[R063] Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs; Reynolds, Cuyler; Lewis Historical Pub. Co; New York, NY; 1911
[R074a] The Mayflower Descendant; Quarterly Publication; General Society of Mayflower Descendants; Plymouth, MA; 1897; Vol. 1-46
[R077] Compendium of Early Mohawk Valley Families; Penrose, Maryly B.; Genealogical Publishing Co.; Baltimore, MD; 1990; Vol. I, p.263-265
[R084] The New England Historical and Genealogical Register; New England Historic Genealogical Society; Boston, MA; 1968; Vol. 122 (1968), pp.190-191, Vol. 100 (1946), p.228
[R086] Genealogical Notes of New York and New England Families; Visscher, Sebastian; Talcott, Weed, Parsons and Co.; Albany, NY; 1883
[R086a] History of the New Netherlands: Province of New York and State of New York, to the Adoption of the Federal Constitution; Dunlap, William; Carter & Thorp Exchange Place; New York, NY; 1840; Vol. II
[R087b] New York State Men: Biographic Studies and Character Portraits; Hills, Frederick S.; The Argus Company; Albany, NY; 1910
[R087a] Genealogical and Family History of Western New York: a Record of the Achievements of her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Building of a Nation; Cutter, William Richard; Lewis Historical Pub. Co; New York, NY; 1912
[R089] Palatine Families of New York: a Study of the German Immigrants Who Arrived in Colonial New York in 1710; Jones, Henry Z. Jr.; Picton Press; Universal City, CA; 1985
[R099] Contributions for the Genealogies of the Descendants of the First Settlers of the Patent and City of Schenectady from 1662 to 1800; Pearson, Jonathan; J. Munsell Co.; Albany, NY; 1873
[R102] Genealogical and Family History of Southern New York and the Hudson River Valley; Reynolds, Cuyler; Clearfield Co.; Baltimore, MD; 1914
[R109] VanRensselaer Bowier Manuscripts: being the Letters of Kiliaen VanRensselaer, 1630-1643, and other documents relating to The Colony of Rensselaerwyck; VanLaer, A.J.F. (translated by); New York State Library; Albany, NY; 1908; pp. 842-843
[RR] New York Genealogical & Biographical Record; New York Genealogical & Biographical Society; New York, NY
Extract from “Early American Families“, Rev. W.A. Williams; Philadelphia, PA; 1916: “The Rensselaer-Bowier Papers say that Douw Fonda was a Frisian, and Tacitus says that the Frisians dwelt along the coast of the North sea. They were converted to Christianity before A.D. 800. The family of Fonda was originally from the Republic of Genoa, Italy. The Marquis de Fonda was one of the leaders of a revolution in Genoa, having for its object the overturning of the aristocratic government, and putting the election of the Doge and Senate, into the hands of the people at large. The Doge (=duke) was the duke, or chief magistrate. Our ancestor was an early republican, and must have lived there, between 1339, when the first Doge was elected, and 1528 when the Dogate ceased. Baron de Fonda was unsuccessful in his attempt, and fled from the country, taking refuge in Amsterdam, Holland, whence his descendant, Jellis Douwese Fonda, emigrated to America in 1642 (1650), and had grants of land from the Dutch government, settling in or near the present city of Albany, N. Y.”
“There is a perhaps less credible tradition also, that the Fondas were Huguenots. and fled from France to Holland after the massacre of St. Bartholomew’s night, Aug. 25, 1572. There is another tradition that they fled from Spain on account of persecution or followed the Duke of Alva to Holland. It is also said that they belonged to the royal house of Spain, fled to Italy, because of religious persecution, and came later to Holland. Possibly they fled from Italy to France, and from France to Holland. The form of the family name is Latin and therefore similar in French, Italian, and Spanish, indicating the Latin origin of the family, probably In Italy. The Fondas were Dutch Reformed Protestants when they emigrated to America, and must have been among the first converts of the Reformation. Their descendants are widely scattered throughout the Union, though many are still living near the old home in Eastern N.Y.”
“The family name is taken from a deep valley in the Apennines, about 12 mi. from the city of Genoa, called Fonda, a name which means bottom, deep, foundation, etc. It is said that, in the early part of the last century, the estate was still in the possession of a branch of the family, the Count de Fonda, and there are many of the name, in the various parts of the Genoese territories.” Some of the family may have known Columbus in Genoa.”
Note: the above is disputed in “Old Dutch Families: Fonda Family” (De Halve Maen Quarterly, 1945): “The Fondas were important in up-state New York during the Colonial period and in the early development of the State. Presumably the family is of Frisian origin and one genealogist has outlined European background for the Fondas giving them a really illustrious descent. However, these stories apparently come from tradition rather than substance.”
Trieste, Italy
Today, most native Fonda families live in Trieste, Italy and nearby Piran, Slovenia. There is a wonderful website by Robert Fonda regarding Slovenian Fonda Genealogy which provides a rich family history within that area. This tends to support the above statement about the Genoa connection being less credible.
quoting Robert Fonda: “Although there is no written evidence to prove that surname FONDA really came into existence in Piran, there is some statistic research which more than obviously shows that. Here I will mention three: the first was done by means of a telephone book and internet (Labo.net) for the year 2002; the second was done by the historian Darja Mihelič, Ph.D. in the book “Piran, mesto in ljudje pred sto leti” (Piran, the town and the people a hundred years ago) and deals with the years between 1889 and 1892; the third one represents the number of families FONDA in the area of Italy in 1945.”
“The research of the FONDA families today shows that it is quite centrally dispersed from the area of Piran (according to the migration of population in Piran after WW2) with the emphasized direction to the Italian speaking territory the “Italian line” – Piran belonged to Italy till WW2, most of the time to the Venetian republic. It is interesting that some other old Piran surnames of the Roman origin show the same way of dispersion. As the surname FONDA is only one branch that developed from the family tree of FUNDANI’s, I was interested to to know which surname nowadays would correspond to the main branch of the genealogy.”
“By means of the the same help I found an even more frequent surname FONDI which shows exactly the same dispersion as expected. With this one namely the Rome and its vicinity is emphasized as the main centre (the town FONDI is only a hundred kilometres to the south). This surname has two somewhat smaller and less important centres with denser population in the vicinity of Florence and Milan. Beside these two surnames I also found another: FONDACARO, which probably belongs to the same family tree, the dispersion of which in the area of Italy today is different. I broadened this statistical research based on the FONDA families in phone books to the whole of Europe. The results showed the existence of the “French-Spanish line” which frequently appears in the eastern Pyrenne (Pyrennees Orientales), the “American line” in the USA and the “Slovene line” with two centres, the first in Lokev (the Slovenian Karst), and the second in Latkova vas (the Savinja valley) and its surroundings. Later on I will focus on the branch from Lokev in detail as it is the one my family derives from.”
“The historian Darja Mihelič researched the weddings in Piran from 1 January 1889 till 31 December 1892 and within this period gathered enough data according to which one can make a valid statistical pattern. The results showed that surname FONDA was statistically most frequently mentioned in the wedding certificates (2,7% ).This surname was also most frequent in connection with the house numbers – it appears in 25 addresses (the processed data was one third of all the houses in Piran). Following the data from 1945 there lived in Piran as many as 67 FONDA families which means that it was the second just after the surname Ruzzier (70 families). In this time it was estimated that in Trieste there lived 40 and in other parts of Italy another 60 to 70 FONDA families. After the cancellation of the “Zone B” in 1954, most of the Piran families emigrated to Trieste. There are now more than 20% of all FONDA families living in Trieste.”
This is a duplicate of the listing on the fonda.org website.
Abraham Janse Fonda; Merchant, Ship Captain, Justice, Revolutionary War Soldier; born 18-Jan-1708, died 30-Jul-1762 at 54 years of age; b. Claverack, Albany Co., New York; moved from Claverack to Albany in 1745; d. Albany, Albany Co., New York; Abraham had 6 sons enrolled in the Albany County Militia in the Revolutionary War, 8th Regiment, Claverack Battalion; Peter, Lieutenant; Laurens, Quartermaster; Abraham (1744-), Captain; Jeremiah, Douwe, and Cornelius, Private.
Douw Adam Fonda; Dry Goods Merchant; born 14-Oct-1824; b. Reformed Protestant Dutch Church Of Caughnawaga, Fonda, Montgomery, New York; 1880 United States Census, District 2, Mohawk, Montgomery, New York; In 1885, Douw A. Fonda, the oldest merchant in Fonda, assigned (filed bankruptcy). His liabilities were about $50,000 and his assets about one-third of that amount. Many farmers from whom he bought hay lost largely. Ref. NY Times Oct-4-1885.
Douw Henry Fonda; Druggist, Railroad Ticket Agent; see www.darcisplace.com; born 10-Sep-1830, died Feb-23-1908 at 77 years of age; b. Fonda, Montgomery, New York; d. Albany, Albany Co., New York; Yearbook of the Holland Society of New York: 1915: List of Deceased Members; President of the D. H. Fonda Drug Company, Albany. Engaged in the railroad business. He was a ticket agent at Palatine Bridge under the late Hon. Webster Wagner. In September 1853, he became teller of the Spraker Bank, Canajoharie, and two years later was made cashier. In 1885, D. H. Fonda presented a pass from the Mount McGregor Railroad to New York Governor (future US President) Grover Cleveland. the pass was graciously returned with appreciation.
Edgar Louis Fonda; Railroad Office Clerk, Clothes Store Salesman; born 14-Dec-1884, died Nov-1-1982 at 97 years of age; b. New York; 1910 US Census, Rensselaer, Rensselaer Co., New York; 1930 Census, New York, Rensselaer, Rensselaer, District 35; SSDI Issued New York, Death Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona; bur. Holy Sepulcher Cemetery, East Greenbush, Rensselaer Co., New York
Franklin Jerome Fonda; Hotel Manager (Ford Hotel, Phoenix, 1930); born 2-Apr-1875, died Sep-21-1943 at 68 years of age; b. Ross, Michigan; 1930 Census, Arizona, Maricopa, Phoenix, District 5; Franklin at an early age went to live with his aunt, Emily Fonda Richards in Bergen, Genesee, New York. He died in Los Angeles after being struck by an automobile.
Frederick Peter Fonda; Market Bookkeeper, Civil War Soldier; born 31-Dec-1842, died Jul-31-1903 at 60 years of age; b. Troy, New York; 1850 U.S. Census, New York, Rensselaer, Troy Ward 1; res. Knoxville, Tennessee 1868-1869; 1880 United States Census, 7th Ward, District 2, Troy, Rensselaer, New York; bur. Oakwood Cemetery, Troy, New York; Sergeant in Co. E, 2nd Regiment, New York State Volunteers
Frederick Theodore Fonda; Entrepreneur; born 1872, died Jan-23-1906 at 34 years of age; b. Ross, Michigan; d. at sea; He went west to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma when about 20 years of age where he became successful in acquiring mining interests in Nevada and Utah. He was lost at sea on January 23, 1906, when he was en route from San Francisco to Seattle on the steamship “Valencia“. He was returning to Alaska where he was prospecting for gold when the ship encountered bad weather and it foundered on the rocks off Vancouver Island
George Arthur Fonda; Automobile Dealer; born 31-Aug-1890, died Feb-1-1970 at 79 years of age; b. New York; 1930 Census, New York, Onondaga, Syracuse, District 30; SSDI Syracuse, Onondaga, New York; George A. Fonda of Syracuse, New York was the distributor for Packard automobiles in central New York state for many years, operating under the corporate name Fonda Motor Car Company.
George Dockstader Fonda; California Gold Miner, NYC Policeman; born 1834, died 29-Jul-1898 at 64 years of age; b. Caughnawaga (now Fonda), Montgomery, New York; res. Sacramento, California (Tuolumne County where they owned 160 acres and found gold), then Brooklyn, New York; 1870 US Census, Columbia PO, Tuolumne Co., California; 1880 United States Census, Brooklyn, Kings (Brooklyn), New York City-Greater, New York; d. Brooklyn, New York.
Gysbert Nicholas Fonda; Merchant, Landowner; see www.nysm.nysed.gov; born 25-Sep-1720, died Aug-1788 at 67 years of age; bp. First Dutch Reformed Church, Albany, New York; Gysbert prospered in business, being counted among the wealthiest Albanians during the 1760s. In 1766, he stood with his neighbors in opposition to the Stamp Act. However, ten years later, this cautious merchant was identified by the same neighbors as opposed to the American cause, refused to sign the non Importation association, and was ordered disarmed. In 1778, he refused to swear allegiance to the United States and was threatened with deport and banishment to the British. With much to lose, Fonda then took the oath! those reservations aside, Gysbert Fonda survived the war and even was granted a bounty right in conjunction with the Albany regiment of the county militia.
Henry Vrooman Fonda; Merchant, Miller; born 10-May-1768, died 4-Apr-1815 at 46 years of age; b. East Greenbush, Rensselaer, New York; One of the first signs of modern commerce in the Mohawk Valley was a cotton-mill, carried on for about five years by a company organized in 1811, consisting of John and Simon Veeder, G. Van Deusen, Henry Fonda and Myndert Wemple. A woolen-mill and carding-machine for custom-work was attached. Simon I. Veeder rented the building, and started a satinet factory in 1825, which he continued till 1830, when he sold to John Booth. the water-power afforded by Cayadutta Creek led, at a very early day, to the establishment of grist-mills at this point. One is said to have stood, previous to the Revolution, half a mile above the site of the Cayadutta, or “Upper”, mill. Cayadutta Creek begins as a trickle in the hills some three miles north of Gloversville. It flows southward for more than 17 miles to the Mohawk River/Erie Canal, passing through the communities of Gloversville, Johnstown, Sammonsville, Berryville and Fonda.
Horace Fonda; Grocery Store Owner, Town Clerk; born 1809, died 20-Dec-1866 at 57 years of age; b. Wilton, Northumberland County, New York; 1850 U.S. Census, New York, Saratoga, Saratoga Springs; Horace Fonda was one of 13 men who were the first board of directors of Commercial Bank of Saratoga Springs. the Fonda building at 384 Broadway, built by Horace Fonda in 1846. Fire damaged the store in 1856. Stores burned were H. & W. A. Fonda’s dry goods, operated by Barton Fonda & Horace Fonda. All the buildings were wooden structures. Horace & family lived above and conducted a grocery store on the street level. Became the Adelphi Hotel in 1928.
Jacob Peter Fonda; Boatman, Coal Dealer, Cider Maker; born 22-May-1808, died 22-Aug-1883 at 75 years of age; b. Caughnawaga (now Fonda), Montgomery Co., New York; bp. Caughnawaga Reformed Church, Montgomery Co., New York; 1850 U.S. Census, New York, Montgomery, Glenn; 1880 United States Census; Fultonville, Montgomery, New York; bur. Old Cemetery, Fultonville, New York
John V. Fonda; Drapery Maker, Salesman; born 15-Feb-1892, died Dec-17-1989 at 97 years of age; b. Harlem, New York City, New York; raised in Syracuse; 1930 Census, Illinois, Cook, Chicago (Districts 1-250), District 231; returned to Syracuse in 1950; SSDI issued Indiana, death benefits Syracuse, Onondaga, New York; d. Chesapeake, Virginia
Nicholas B. Fonda; Boatman/Cartman, Variety Store Owner, Civil War Soldier; born 1829; b. New York; 1850 U.S. Census, New York, Saratoga, Waterford; 1860 U.S. Census, North Galway, Milton, Saratoga Co., New York; 1880 US Census, Cohoes, Albany, New York; Civil War – enlisted as a Private on 10 September 1863 at the age of 34; Company B, 16th Heavy Artillery Regiment New York; Mustered out Company B, 16th Heavy Artillery Regiment New York on 21 August 1865 in Washington, DC
William Brace Fonda; Oil Company Salesman, Merchant; born 12-Feb-1879, died 13064 at 56 years of age; b. and d. Omaha, Douglas Co, Nebraska; 1880 US Census, Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska; 1930 Census, Nebraska, Douglas, Omaha, District 114; res. Omaha, Nebraska, in partnership with brother Ten Eyck per 1910 Omaha Business Directory, adv novelties business.
