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Armes History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Armes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Armes has a history dating as far back as the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 when the culture from which this family sprang arrived on British soil. It was a name for a good friend or beloved one. The name was originally derived from the Old French given name or nickname Amis or Ami, which means friend. Alternatively the name could have been derived from the "descendant of Amos (burden-bearer.)" 1

Early Origins of the Armes family

The surname Armes was first found in the county of Northumberland, where they were granted lands by King William after the Norman Conquest in 1066. They originated from Exmes, a town in the department of Orne, in Normandy. 2

"Amos, like Amias or Amyas, represents popular forms of the Norman-French Aimee, or Amys. " 3 Kirby's Quest had the first listing for the family: Thomas Amys, Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 4

Another sources notes: "the present family of Amos, established in the Faversham district, [in Kent] probably can claim an ancestor in Thomas Amos, a well - to - do yeoman of Ospringe, who in 1769 bequeathed £100 for the poor of Molash." 5

Early History of the Armes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Armes research. Another 178 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1576, 1619, 1633, 1640, 1641, 1689, 1692, 1693, 1695, 1721, 1759, 1864 and 1889 are included under the topic Early Armes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Armes Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Ames, Amess, Amies, Amis, Amiss, Amos, Hames, Haymes, Eames, Emmes and many more.

Early Notables of the Armes family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was William Ames (Latin: Guilielmus Amesius) (1576-1633), an English Protestant divine, philosopher, and controversialist.Henry Metcalfe Ames, of Lynden Hall, Northumberland was High Sheriff of Northumberland in 1864.Joseph Ames (1619-1695), was an English naval commander from Norfolk who commanded several ships of war, and made repeated voyages to America and the West Indies...
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Armes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Armes Ranking

In the United States, the name Armes is the 9,165^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6

Armes migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Armes or a variant listed above:

Armes Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Henry Armes, who arrived in Maryland in 1646 7
Fra Armes, who arrived in Virginia in 1651 7
Roger Armes, who landed in Virginia in 1661 7
Michael Armes, who landed in Virginia in 1663 7
Susan Armes, who arrived in Virginia in 1665 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Armes migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Armes Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Armes, aged 39, a miller, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Caroline" 8
John Dodd Armes, aged 18, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Caroline" 8

Armes 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:

Armes Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Edward Armes, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "New Era" in 1855

Contemporary Notables of the name Armes (post 1700) +

Don Armes, American Republican politician, Member of Oklahoma State House of Representatives 63rd District; Elected 2002 9
Sybil Leonard Armes (1914-2007), American Baptist author and musician
Ethel Marie Armes (1876-1945), American journalist and historian
Julian "Jay" J. Armes (b. 1932), American amputee, private investigator, and actor
Don Armes (b. 1961), American politician, United States Republican from Oklahoma
Samuel "Sammy" Armes (1908-1958), English footballer
Ray Armes (b. 1951), retired British auto racing driver

The Armes Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fama candida rosa dulcior
Motto Translation: Fame is sweeter than the white rose.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
South Australian Register Thursday 26th April 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Caroline 1855. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/caroline1855.shtml
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 18) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html