Armstead History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Armstead has a long Anglo-Saxon heritage. The name comes from when a family lived near or at a hermit's cell. The surname Armstead is derived from the Old French word ermite, which means hermit, and the Old English word stede, which means place. 1 2

The name may also be an Anglicized form of the German surname Darmstädter, which is derived from the settlement of Darmstadt in Hesse, a former landgraviate of Germany.

Early Origins of the Armstead family

The surname Armstead was first found in Yorkshire where the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include some of the first listings of the family: Laurencius del Armetsted; Johannes de Armetstede who both held lands there at that time. 3 2

"This has been a Yorkshire surname for five centuries at least." 3

Later in Norfolk we found William Armistead, was vicar of Berwick Parva, Norfolk in 1587. 4

Early History of the Armstead family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Armstead research. Another 137 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1527, 1618, 1645, 1676, 1680, 1693, 1696, 1699, 1726, 1748, 1780, 1781, 1783, 1812, 1817, 1818, 1820, 1824, 1830, 1844, 1845 and 1863 are included under the topic Early Armstead History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Armstead Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Armstead have been found, including Armistead, Armitstead, Armystead, Armstead, Olmstead, Ormstead, Ampstead and many more.

Early Notables of the Armstead family

Notables of the family at this time include Captain Anthony Armistead (1645-1726), British Justice of the Peace in the British Colony and Dominion of Virginia. He was born in Elizabeth City County, Virginia, the son of William Armistead. He assisted Sir William Berkeley's courts-martial in 1676 to try the Bacon insurgents and was a justice of the peace and Captain of Horse in 1680. He was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1693, 1696, 1699. He married Hannah Ellyson and had five children; the...
Another 87 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Armstead Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Armstead Ranking

In the United States, the name Armstead is the 2,856^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 5

Armstead migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Armstead, or a variant listed above:

Armstead Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Charity Armstead, who settled in Maryland in 1774
Hannah Armstead, who settled in New England in 1780
John Armstead, who landed in Mississippi in 1798 6

Armstead Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Armstead, aged 30, originally from Eunislymom, arrived in New York in 1899 aboard the ship "Majestic (1890)" from Queenstown, Ireland 7
Brid Armstead, aged 30, originally from Eunislymom, arrived in New York in 1899 aboard the ship "Majestic (1890)" from Queenstown, Ireland 7

Armstead Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mary Armstead, aged 17, originally from Kilworth, Ireland, arrived in New York in 1908 aboard the ship "Campania" from Queenstown, Ireland 7
William Henry Armstead, aged 49, originally from Femperley, England, arrived in New York City, New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Carmania" from Liverpool, England 7
Fred Armstead, aged 50, originally from Hindley, England, arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Adriatic" from Southampton, England 7
Mary A. Armstead, aged 49, originally from Hindley, England, arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Aquitania" from Liverpool, England 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Armstead (post 1700) +

James "Jimmie" Armstead (1919-2006), American baseball outfielder and pitcher in the Negro Leagues from 1938 to 1949
Timothy P. Armstead (b. 1965), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from West Virginia, 2004; Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates; Elected 2010; Elected unopposed 2012 8
Henry A. Armstead, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Idaho, 1920, 1924 8
David Armstead, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Arizona State House of Representatives 23rd District, 1993-98; Candidate in primary for Arizona State Senate 23rd District, 1998 8
Clara Lincoln Armstead, American Democratic Party politician, Associate Secretary of West Virginia Democratic Party, 1964, 1967 8
Tim Armstead (b. 1965), American Republican politician, Member of the West Virginia House of Delegates 9
Armond Armstead (b. 1990), American NFL defensive tackle for the New England Patriots
Willie Armstead (b. 1952), American CFL slotback and wide receiver for the Calgary Stampeders (1976-1982)
Josephine "Jo" Armstead (b. 1944), American soul singer and songwriter, co-writer of the Ray Charles' hits "Let's Go Get Stoned" and "I Don't Need No Doctor"
Ray "Ricky" Armstead (b. 1960), American gold medalist sprinter at the 1984 Summer Olympics
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Armstead 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: Ever ready
Motto Translation: Always prepared

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-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)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. 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)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 18) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2014, April 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html