Foulden's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for a hill with an abundance of domesticated birds.

[1] In the Domesday Book, Foulden is listed as a settlement of 64 households located in the hundred of South Greenhoe.

In 1086, the village was divided between the East Anglian estates of Alan of Brittany, William de Warenne and Walter Giffard.

[5] Foulden falls within the constituency of South West Norfolk in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

The River Wissey runs roughly west to east through the parish and the modern village sits overlooking the valley.