Daunce History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Daunce family is linked to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name comes from the baptismal name for the "son of Daniel," or it could have been from the Anglo-Saxon word Dense, meaning Danish. 1

Early Origins of the Daunce family

The surname Daunce was first found in Yorkshire where the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list some of the first entries of the family: Amicia Daunce; Thomas Danse; and Willelmus Daunse. 2

In Bedfordshire, early records there show William Daunce in the Assize Rolls of 1247. Robert Daunce appears in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1301 and Robert del la Daunce was listed in 1305 and "was probably a professional dancer, chief of ‘a dancing party’, a meaning recorded c. 1385." 3

Early History of the Daunce family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Daunce research. Another 72 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1700, 1741, 1748, 1755, 1761, 1768, 1775, 1790, 1793, 1800, 1825, 1827 and 1840 are included under the topic Early Daunce History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Daunce Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Daunce has been recorded under many different variations, including Dance, Danse and others.

Early Notables of the Daunce family

Notables of this surname at this time include: George Dance the Elder (1700-1768), English architect and surveyor to the corporation of London. He designed the Mansion House and many of the churches and public buildings of the city during the earlier half of the eighteenth century. One of his sons, George Dance the Younger (1741-1825), was also an architect of note. He was the fifth and youngest son of George Dance the Elder. He "learnt his profession in his father's office. He spent also some time in France and Italy, and studied in Rome. He was a member of the Incorporated...
Another 135 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Daunce Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Daunce family to Ireland

Some of the Daunce family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Daunce migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Daunce or a variant listed above:

Daunce Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Abraham Daunce, who arrived in Maryland in 1662 4

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)