Fernand History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066 brought the Fernand family name to the British Isles. They lived in Normandy where it is a "Norman baronial name." 1 One of the first on record was Roger, "Baron of Venron c. 1030." 1 Another reference claims the first record of the name was "William de Vernon, who assumed that surname from the town and district of Vernon, in Normandy, of which he was proprietor in 1052." 2

Vernon Castle in Normandy was the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

The family take their name from "the castle and chatelletiie of Vernon, now a commune in the arrondissement of Evreux, which gives its name to the surrounding canton, 'one of the most picturesque and luxuriant of the vine districts.' The castle must have been strong; for Orderic tells us that in 1152 it was besieged by Louis King of France with a large army, and he, after a long leaguer, was fain to enter into a secret negotiation with Richard de Vernon to raise the Royal banner on his tower." 3

Early Origins of the Fernand family

The surname Fernand was first found in Cheshire at Shipbrook(e), where William de Vernon was granted lands by Hugh d'Avranches, 1st Earl of Chester. His son Richard settled at Shipbrook(e), near Northwich.

The Cheshire family which had become the Barons of Shipbrooke, "became connected with Derbyshire by the heiress of Avenell's marriage with Richard Vernon in the 12th century; [and their] daughter and heiress married to Gilbert de Francis, whose son took the name of Vernon, seated himself at Haddon Hall in this county, and was the ancestor of the different branches of the House of Vernon." 4

"The manor [of Draycott-in the-Clay] was included in the Conqueror's gift to Henry de Ferrers, and has for many ages been possessed by the noble family of Vernon. In a meadow beyond Draycott mill are the ruins of an ancient mansion, surrounded by a moat." 5

Early History of the Fernand family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fernand research. Another 149 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1030, 1229, 1236, 1249, 1577, 1605, 1621, 1622, 1625, 1660, 1665, 1676, 1715 and 1721 are included under the topic Early Fernand History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fernand Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Vernon, Vernen, Vernin and others.

Early Notables of the Fernand family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir William Vernon, High Sheriff of Lancashire, Chief Justice of Cheshire (1229 to 1236); Warine Vernon, 4th Baron of Shipbrook, married Alice heiress of Nether Haddon and Haddon Hall, Derbyshire; his son Sir Richard was Chief Justice in 1249; Richard Vernon, Baron of Shipbrook, one of seven great barons created by the kinglet, Earl Lupus of Chester, cousin...
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fernand Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fernand Ranking

In France, the name Fernand is the 9,377^th most popular surname with an estimated 500 - 1,000 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Fernand family to Ireland

Some of the Fernand 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.

Fernand migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Fernand or a variant listed above:

Fernand Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jean Baptiste Fernand, aged 22, who arrived in Louisiana in 1719 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Fernand (post 1700) +

Mentionnons Fernand Nault (1920-2006), dancer and choreographer in Montréal, awarded the Order of Canada (1977)
Aimé Fernand Cesaire (b. 1913), West Indian poet and playwright
Raymond Fernand Loewy (1893-1987), American industrial designer
Fernand Joseph St. Germain (1928-2014), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Rhode Island (1961-1989)
Fernand Joseph St. Germain (b. 1928), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Rhode Island State House of Representatives, 1952-60; U.S. Representative from Rhode Island 1st District, 1961-89; Defeated, 1988 8
Fernand Chapsal (1862-1939), French lawyer, administrator and politician, Minister of Commerce in 1926 and (1937-1938), and Minister of Agriculture in 1938
Fernand Labrie (b. 1937), Canadian medical researcher who specializes in endocrinological research and prostate cancer research.
Fernand Payette (1921-1993), Canadian wrestler who competed in the men's freestyle light heavyweight at the 1948 Summer Olympics
Fernand Zago (1942-2022), French rugby union player who played as a prop and appeared in two matches for the French national team in the 1963 Five Nations Championship
Fernand Bourret, Canadian economist in Quebec according to 1993 records

Citations +

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)
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html