Show ContentsDeason History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Deason is one of the many names that the Normans brought with them when they conquered England in 1066. The Deason family lived in Westmorland (now part of Cumbria). The family was originally from Osonvilla, near Dieppe, Normandy, and it is from the local form of this name, D'Oson, which means from Oson, that their name derives. 1

Early Origins of the Deason family

The surname Deason was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire at North Bierely, a township, in the parish and union of Bradford, wapentake of Morley. "Royds Hall [in North Bierely], which has been for many years the residence of the Dawson family, was originally built by the Rookes." 2

Langcliffe was another ancestral seat of the family. "Langcliffe was parcel of the possessions of Sawley Abbey, and subsequently for a century and a half the property of the Dawsons, a family highly distinguished in point of alliances and personal desert. Whitaker gives a copy of verses, printed in 1690, by William Dawson, containing an account of a village destroyed by the Scots in the reign of Edward II." 2

The name is "a north of England name, mostly found in Cumberland and Westmoreland, Durham, West Riding of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Cheshire, and extending into central Scotland." 3

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 had many early entries of the family: Johannes Dauson; Robertus Dauson; Johanna Dowedoghter; Osbarn Daweson; and Wallerus Daweson. "In the same village occur, among a few inhabitants: Robertas Doweson; and Willelmus Daweson." 4

Further to the north in Scotland, early record there revealed: "John Daweson was a merchant in the service of Archambaud, Earl of Douglas in 1405. John Dawson is recorded in Kethyk in 1466, and James Dawson was godson of King James IV. Duncan Dalsoun was coalman to the king in 1531. " 5

Early History of the Deason family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Deason research. Another 209 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1170, 1466, 1531, 1541, 1568, 1571, 1576, 1578, 1607, 1624, 1637, 1658, 1659, 1662, 1671, 1677, 1699, 1700, 1797 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Deason History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Deason Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Dawson, Daweson and others.

Early Notables of the Deason family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Edward Dawson or Davison (1576?-1624?), English Jesuit, the only son of respectable parents, 'connected with Sir Anthony Staunden,' was born in London in 1576 or 1578. George Dawson (1637-1700), was...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Deason Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Deason Ranking

In the United States, the name Deason is the 5,202nd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 6

Ireland Migration of the Deason family to Ireland

Some of the Deason family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 97 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Deason migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Deason name or one of its variants:

Deason Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Tho Deason, who arrived in Virginia in 1636 7
Deason Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Deason, who arrived in New Orleans in 1821
  • W H Deason, aged 43, who arrived in America, in 1894
Deason Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Enoch Deason, aged 23, who arrived in America from St. Mary's, England, in 1907
  • Florence Deason, aged 23, who arrived in America from Nottingham, England, in 1909
  • Norman Deason, aged 23, who arrived in America from Scilly, England, in 1913
  • Albert Stanley Deason, aged 21, who arrived in America from Sally Isles, England, in 1914
  • Clifton E. Deason, aged 26, who arrived in America, in 1920
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Deason migration to Australia +

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

Deason Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • John Deason, aged 23, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Epaminondas" 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Deason (post 1700) +

  • Ellen Muriel Deason (1919-2012), birth name of Kitty Wells, an American country music singer awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the nickname Queen of Country Music
  • Darwin Deason (b. 1940), American billionaire businessman and political donor who founded Affiliated Computer Services in 1988, and sold it to Xerox for $6.4 billion in 2010, becoming Xerox' largest individual shareholder (6%, as of 2016)
  • Sean Deason, American techno producer from Detroit
  • Willard Deason, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 1964; Member, Interstate Commerce Commission, 1965-75 9
  • Robert A. Deason, American politician, Postmaster at Barnwell, South Carolina, 1922-26, 1932-47 (acting, 1932-36) 9
  • Leslie C. Deason, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Missouri, 1928 9
  • June Deason, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Texas, 1988 9
  • Cecil M. Deason, American politician, Delegate to Alabama convention to ratify 21st amendment from Jefferson County, 1933 9
  • John Deason, Cornish prospector who co-discovered the "Welcome Stanger," the largest alluvial gold nugget ever found on 5 February 1869 at Moliagul, Victoria, Australia


  1. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. 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)
  6. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  7. 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)
  8. South Australian Register Monday 26th December 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Epaminondas 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/epaminondas1853.shtml
  9. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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