Barrymore History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
England

Non-Gaelic elements made their first appearance in Irish nomenclature after the Strongbow settlers began to arrive on Irish shores. Although the Irish already had an established a system of hereditary surnames, the Anglo-Normans also brought their own traditions with them when they arrived. The two systems were not extremely conflicting, and eventually drew upon one another. Although local surnames, such as Barrymore, were not entirely unknown to the Irish, this form of surname was much more popular with the Strongbownians. Local names were taken from the names of a place or a geographical feature where the person lived, held land, or was born. Originally, these place names were prefixed by de, which means from in French. This type of prefix was eventually either made a part of the surname, if the place name began with a vowel, or was eliminated entirely. The local names of these Anglo-Norman invaders first referred to places in Normandy, or more typically England, but eventually for those Strongbownians or their descendents that remained in Ireland, the local names really did begin to refer to local places or geographical features of the island. The Barrymore family appears to have originally lived at Barrymore in the English county of Lincolnshire. The surname Barrymore belongs to the large category of Anglo-Norman habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Barrymore family

The surname Barrymore was first found in County Cork (Irish: Corcaigh) the ancient Kingdom of Deis Muin (Desmond), located on the southwest coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they were descended from the Barrys, Earls of Barrymore and Santry. They were of Anglo Norman origin and had settled briefly in Lincolnshire before joining Strongbow on his Irish invasion, in 1172 A.D.

Early History of the Barrymore family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Barrymore research. Another 66 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1172 is included under the topic Early Barrymore History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Barrymore Spelling Variations

During an investigation of the origin of each name, it was found that church officials and medieval scribes spelled many surnames as they sounded. Therefore, during the lifetime of a single person, a name could be spelt numerous ways. Some of the spelling variations for the name Barrymore include Barrymore, Berrymore, Barymore, Barrymoor and others.

Early Notables of the Barrymore family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was

Earl of Barrymore and Santry

Migration of the Barrymore family

A great number of Irish families left their homeland in the late 18th century and throughout the 19th century, migrating to such far away lands as Australia and North America. The early settlers left after much planning and deliberation. They were generally well off but they desired a tract of land that they could farm solely for themselves. The great mass of immigrants to arrive on North American shores in the 1840s differed greatly from their predecessors because many of them were utterly destitute, selling all they had to gain a passage on a ship or having their way paid by a philanthropic society. These Irish people were trying to escape the aftermath of the Great Potato Famine: poverty, starvation, disease, and, for many, ultimately death. Those that arrived on North American shores were not warmly welcomed by the established population, but they were vital to the rapid development of the industry, agriculture, and infrastructure of the infant nations of the United States and what would become Canada. Early passenger and immigration lists reveal many Irish settlers bearing the name Barrymore: the family of Barrymore who in the late 19th century arrived in the New World and they were exemplified by the famous family of theatre and films, headed by John Barrymore..

Contemporary Notables of the name Barrymore (post 1700) +

Drew Blyth Barrymore (b. 1975), American actress and Golden Globe award winner
Ethel Barrymore (1879-1959), American actress
John Barrymore (1882-1942), American actor who has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6667 Hollywood Boulevard
Lionel Barrymore (1878-1954), American Academy Award winning actor, probably best known for his villainous role as Henry Potter in It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Bruce Barrymore Halpenny, English military historian and author
Baron Barrymore Halpenny, English commercial artist, book editor, writer and historian

The Barrymore 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: Regi legi fidelis
Motto Translation: Faithful to king and law.