Gawne History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales

The Gawne surname is a Brythonic Celtic name that comes from the personal name Gawen. This name was popular due to the exploits traditionally attributed to Sir Gawaine, a nephew of King Arthur who was a native of the English/Welsh border area and was famed for his exploits as a Knight of the Round Table. Sir Gawaine was the hero of the battle with the giant Rhyence: 'That Gawain with his olde eurtesie.' Chaucer, The Squire's Tale. Independently, the surname Gawne is native to the Isle of Man, and as a Manx name, it is an occupational surname derived from Mac-an-Gabhain, which means the smith's son.

Early Origins of the Gawne family

The surname Gawne was first found in Wiltshire, where "the Gawens of Norrington, in the parish of Alvideston, continued in that place four hundred fifty and odd yeares. On the south downe of the farme of Broad Chalke is a little barrow called Gawen's Barrow, which must bee before ecclesiastical lawes were established." 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Goselena filius Gawyne in Cambridgeshire and the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Peter Gowyn and Emma Gawyn. 2

Early History of the Gawne family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gawne research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1612, 1642 and 1684 are included under the topic Early Gawne History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gawne Spelling Variations

Although there are not an extremely large number Welsh surnames, there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations of those surnames. This variety of spellings began almost immediately after the acceptance of surnames within Welsh society. As time progressed, these old Brythonic names were eventually were recorded in English. This process was problematic in that many of the highly inflected sounds of the native language of Wales could not be properly captured in English. Some families, however, did decide to modify their own names to indicate a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even a patriotic affiliation. The name Gawne has seen various spelling variations: Gawen, Gaven, Gavin and others.

Early Notables of the Gawne family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Thomas Gawen (1612-1684), English Catholic writer, son of Thomas Gawen, a minister of Bristol, born at Marshfield, Gloucestershire, in 1612. After taking orders he travelled abroad...
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gawne Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gawne migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Gawne Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Edward Gawne, aged 31, a carpenter, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Edward P Bouverie" in 1873 3
Emma Gawne, aged 32, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Edward P Bouverie" in 1873 3
Lillian J. Gawne, aged 4, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Edward P Bouverie" in 1873 3
Westley Gawne, aged 2, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Edward P Bouverie" in 1873 3
Mabel Gawne, aged 6 months, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Edward P Bouverie" in 1873 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Gawne (post 1700) +

Harry D. Gawne, American politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Chemung County, 1909; Candidate for New York State Senate 41st District, 1926 4
Edward Moore Gawne (1802-1871), Speaker of the House of Keys in the Isle of Man
Philip Anderson "Phil" Gawne (b. 1965), British Manx politician

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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 4th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html