Danks History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

One of the most common classes of Scottish surnames is the patronymic surname, which arose out of the vernacular and religious naming traditions. The vernacular or regional naming tradition is the oldest and most pervasive type of patronymic surname. According to this custom, names were originally composed of vocabulary elements from the local language. Patronymic surnames of this type were usually derived from the personal name of the original bearer's father. The surname Danks is derived from the ancient name Daniel, which means God has judged. 1

Early Origins of the Danks family

The surname Danks was first found in Gloucestershire where Alicia Daniel was one of the first records of the name was found temp. Henry III to Edward I. Simon Danyel was later found in Somerset. 2 "The church [of Beckingon, Somerset] contains the remains of Samuel Daniel, poet-laureate and historian, who died here in 1619." 3

Some of the family were found in Yorkshire in early times. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Beatrix Danyell; Robertus Danyell; Thomas Daniell; Oliva Danyl; and Teffan Danyll. 2

"In Devonshire the name of Daniel is now best represented in the Holsworthy district. There was a John Daneyll, of "Brighe broke," in the hundred of Wonford, Devon, in the 13th century." 4

Up in Scotland, the surname recorded in Aberdeen as both a forename and surname. "Daniel, son of Herleuine, witnessed a charter by Uchtred, son of Fergus, lord of Galloway, c. 1166, and another early individual of the name gave origin to the ancient barony of Danzielstoun in the parish of Kilmalcolm. By the Gaels this name was adopted as an equivalent for Donald." 5

Early History of the Danks family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Danks research. Another 240 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1148, 1198, 1279, 1379, 1562, 1619, 1626, 1646, 1660, 1669, 1681, 1703, 1705, 1718 and 1789 are included under the topic Early Danks History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Danks Spelling Variations

Scottish surnames are distinguished by a multitude of spelling variations because, over the centuries, the names were frequently translated into and from Gaelic. Furthermore, the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent because medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules. The different versions of a surname, such as the inclusion of the patronymic prefix "Mac", frequently indicated a religious or Clan affiliation or even a division of the family. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into Scotland, accelerating accentuating the alterations to various surnames. The name Danks has also been spelled Daniels, Daniell, Daneil, Danyell, Danel, Daniers, Danyei and many more.

Early Notables of the Danks family

Notable among the family at this time was John Daniel, a 17th century musician, born in Somerset, England; Samuel Daniel (1562-1619), an English poet and historian famous for his sonnets; Jeffrey Daniel (1626-1681), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Marlborough (1660); John Daniel, (fl. 1681), an English...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Danks Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Danks migration to the United States +

Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Danks, or a variant listed above:

Danks Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Walter Danks, who landed in Virginia in 1655 6

Danks Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Isaac Danks, who landed in Ohio in 1798 6

Danks migration to Australia +

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

Danks Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Joseph Danks, British Convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
Mr. Joseph Danks, (b. 1782), aged 37, English gunsmith who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for 14 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 22nd September 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1836 8
Mr. Joseph Danks, English convict who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Blenheim" on 11th March 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
Joseph Danks, English convict from Warwick, who was transported aboard the "Adelaide" on April 16, 1855, settling in Western Australia 10

Contemporary Notables of the name Danks (post 1700) +

Alney Dale Danks Jr. (1939-2021), American attorney and the mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, from 1977 to 1989
Hart Pease Danks (1834-1903), American musician and composer, best known for his 1873 composition, Silver Threads Among the Gold
Benoni Danks (1716-1763), American New England Ranger and politician in Nova Scotia
Jordan Cooper Danks (b. 1986), American Major League Baseball center fielder
John William Danks (b. 1985), American Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Chicago White Sox
Tom Danks (1863-1908), English international footballer
Richard "Dick" Danks (1865-1929), English footballer
Denise Danks, English novelist, journalist and screenwriter
Mark James Danks (b. 1984), English footballer
Samuel Danks Waddy (1830-1902), English politician

The Danks 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: Nec timeo nec sperno
Motto Translation: I neither fear nor despise.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blenheim
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 17) Adelaide voyage to Western Australia, Australia in 1855 with 261 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/adelaide/1855