Blois History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France

Blois is a name that was carried to England in the great wave of migration from Normandy following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Blois family lived in Leicestershire, Suffolk, and Worcestershire. The family name, however, is not a reference to any of those locations, but to the family's residence prior to the Norman Conquest, in Blois, in the Loir-et-Cher region of France.

Early Origins of the Blois family

The surname Blois was first found in Suffolk, where they held a family seat since the reign of Richard I or King John. 1 However, some of the family were established at Bishop's Waltham in Southampton at early times. "Here are the remains of the once magnificent palace annexed to the see of Winchester, built in 1135 by Bishop Henry de Blois, brother of King Stephen, and greatly embellished by Wykeham. Henry II. held a great council in this palace in 1182." 2

Early History of the Blois family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blois research. Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1135, 1154, 1205, 1219, 1327, 1497, 1600, 1634, 1686 and 1997 are included under the topic Early Blois History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blois Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Blois include Bloss, Blos, Blois, Bloy, Bleys, Blosse, Bloyce and many more.

Early Notables of the Blois family

More information is included under the topic Early Blois Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blois Ranking

In France, the name Blois is the 3,741^st most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 3

Blois migration to Canada +

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Bloiss to arrive on North American shores:

Blois Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Mr. Julien Blois, French settler travelling to Canada to work for Jérôme Le Royer, arriving on 8th June 1659 4
Marguerite Blois married in 1665 in Montreal

Blois Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Abraham Blois U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1783 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Blois (post 1700) +

Regina Blois Duarte (b. 1947), Brazilian film, television and stage actress

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Debien, Gabriel. Liste Des Engagés Pour Le Canada Au XVIIe Siècle. Vol. 6, Laval University, 1952. (Retreived 24th May 2018). Retrieved from https://lebloguedeguyperron.wordpress.com/2016/06/30/130-liste-des-contrats-dengagement-pour-la-nouvelle-france-releves-a-la-rochelle-entre-1634-et-1679/
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X