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Dainty History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

United States Australia New Zealand West Indies

Dainty History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the name Dainty date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Dainty family lived in Daventry, a town in Northants (now Northampton). The place-name was rendered as Daventrei in the Domesday Book, 1 a census and survey taken by William the Conqueror in 1086. The place-name Daventry is derived from the Old English personal name Dafa, and means "tree of a man called Dafa, Dafa's tree." It is interesting to note that the pronunciation of the placename Daventry is not as it would appear. Locals pronounce Daventry as Daintree, giving rise to the many variations of this name that are found. Another source has a different understanding about the origin of the place name. "The British name of this place, Dwy-Avon-Tre, 'the town of two Avons,' from which its present appellation is derived, originated in its situation between the source of the river Leam, which falls into the Western Avon, and the river Nene, anciently styled the Aufona. " 2

Early Origins of the Dainty family

The surname Dainty was first found in Northampton at Daventry, a market-town, a parish, and the head of a union, in the hundred of Fawsley.

Early History of the Dainty family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dainty research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1140, 1296, 1349, 1373 and 1400 are included under the topic Early Dainty History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dainty Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Dainty are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Dainty include: Daventry, Daintry, Dainty, Dantry, Dantye and others.

Early Notables of the Dainty family

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

Dainty migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Dainty or a variant listed above:

Dainty Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Elijah, Dainty Jr., who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1867 3

Dainty migration to Australia +

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

Dainty Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

James Dainty, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Prince George" in 1838 4
Mary Ann Dainty, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Prince George" in 1838 4
William Dainty, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Prince George" in 1838 4
Mr. Shadrack Dainty, British Convict who was convicted in Shropshire, England for 15 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 25th April 1840, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
Miss Hannah Dainty, (William), Welsh needle woman who was convicted in Brecon, Powys, Wales for 7 years, transported aboard the "Emma Eugenia" on 22nd January 1846, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6

Dainty 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:

Dainty Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Alfred Dainty, aged 15, a blacksmith, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Gainsborough" in 1878 7
Harriet Dainty, aged 18, a nurse, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Gainsborough" in 1878 7

Dainty migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 8

Dainty Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Henry Dainty, who settled in Barbados in 1640

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) PRINCE GEORGE 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838PrinceGeorge-London.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1840
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 4th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emma-eugenia
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 3rd November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies