Arch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Arch family

The surname Arch was first found in Berkshire, where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the in the 13th century when they held a family seat at East Henrith.

Early History of the Arch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Arch research. Another 163 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1415, 1455, 1487, 1510, 1600 and 1801 are included under the topic Early Arch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Arch Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Arch include Arches, Archies, Arch, Archs, Ark, Arks and others.

Early Notables of the Arch family

Distinguished members of the family include

the Arches family of Nottingham

Arch migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Arch or a variant listed above:

Arch Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Arch, who landed in Virginia in 1654 1

Arch Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Joseph Arch, who landed in Virginia in 1703 1
Jos Arch, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 1

Arch migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Arch Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Benjamin Arch, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Annie Wilson" in 1863
Sophia Arch, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Annie Wilson" in 1863

Contemporary Notables of the name Arch (post 1700) +

Joseph Arch (1826-1919), English preacher
Hannes Arch (1967-2016), Austrian pilot, World Champion (2008), killed in a helicopter crash
William Arch Leap (1883-1978), American Democratic Party politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Cabell County, 1949-50; Defeated, 1950 2
Arch L. Madsen (1913-1997), American founder of Bonneville International, recipient of the Peabody Award and the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of Broadcasters
Arch Deal (1931-2020), American newscaster with WFLA-TV in Tampa, Florida, father of Tampa musician Karen Deal
Arch Grinnin, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Texas State Senate 26th District, 1899-1906; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 1912 3
Arch Bevis (b. 1955), Australian politician, Federal Member for Brisbane (1990-), Shadow Minister for Homeland Security and Territories
Arch Coleman, American Republican politician, Member of Minnesota State Senate 34th District, 1919-22; Postmaster at Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1922-29 (acting, 1922); Delegate to Republican National Convention from Minnesota, 1928
Arch S. Underwood, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 1964
Arch V. McRoberts (1877-1972), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Missouri State House of Representatives from Lewis County, 1943-54 4

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, July 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html