Dreux History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Dreux reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Dreux family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Dreux family lived in Wiltshire. The surname descends from Herman de Drewes, whose name translates literally as from Drewes.

Early Origins of the Dreux family

The surname Dreux was first found in Wiltshire where Amalric de Drewes held lands as listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. 1 However, there is an earlier listing of Wado de Dreux living in 1050 but at an unknown location. 2 The Anglo-Norman name claims descend from Dreux, which lies near the boundary between Normandy and the Île-de-France. The Counts of Dreux were a noble family of France, who took their title from the château of Dreux. Robert I of Dreux, the fifth son of Louis VI of France, nicknamed the Great (c.1123-1188) married Hawise of Salisbury (1118-1152), daughter of Walter Fitz Edward of Salisbury, Sheriff of Wiltshire.

Early History of the Dreux family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dreux research. Another 163 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1203, 1316, 1519, 1542, 1557, 1598, 1610 and 1631 are included under the topic Early Dreux History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dreux 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 Drew, Drewe, Drywe and others.

Early Notables of the Dreux family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Edward Drew (1542?-1598), recorder of London, eldest son of Thomas Drew (b. 1519), by his wife Eleanora, daughter of William Huckmore of the county of Devon, appears to have been born at the family seat of Sharpham, in the parish of Ashprington, near Totnes, and spent some time at the university. "An entry in the...
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dreux Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dreux Ranking

In France, the name Dreux is the 1,610^th most popular surname with an estimated 3,711 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Dreux family to Ireland

Some of the Dreux 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.

Dreux 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 Dreux name or one of its variants:

Dreux Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mathurin Dreux, who landed in Louisiana in 1718-1724 4

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)