Germond History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancient Norman culture that was established in England after the Conquest of 1066 produced the name of Germond. It was given to a person of German descent, or a person who was associated with that country through trade or other means. Another derivation of the name suggests that it derives from the Old French given name Germain. This name was borne by a popular French saint from the 5th century, and also meant of the same stock, or related to.

Germanus (378?-448), was "Bishop of Auxerre, and missionary to Britain, son of noble parents whose names are given as Rusticus and Germanilla, was born at Auxerre about 378, and after attending schools in Gaul went to study at Rome. " 1

Germond is a classic example of an polygenetic surname, which is a surname that was developed in a number of different locations and adopted by various families independently.

Early Origins of the Germond family

The surname Germond was first found in Essex where Jerman filius Willelmi was listed in the Feet of Fines for 1248. 2 However, Germanus was earlier listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. 3

Early History of the Germond family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Germond research. Another 141 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1086, 1248, 1250, 1279, 1318, 1377, 1397, 1402, 1650, 1680, 1718, 1738 and 1769 are included under the topic Early Germond History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Germond Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled German, Germans, Jermain, Jarman and others.

Early Notables of the Germond family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Robert German (died 1402), English politician, Member (MP) of the Parliament of England for Nottingham from 1377 to 1397.Sir John Germain, 1st Baronet (1650-1718), was a British soldier and politician, thought to have been an illegitimate half-brother of William III of England. "His mother, who was very handsome, is stated to have been that prince's mistress, and Germain is said to have assumed 'as his seal and armorial bearing' a red cross, implying pretensions to exalted...
Another 84 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Germond Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Germond Ranking

In France, the name Germond is the 4,750^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Germond family to Ireland

Some of the Germond 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.

Germond migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Germond or a variant listed above:

Germond Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Amelia Germond, who landed in New York in 1819 5
Amalie Germond, who arrived in New York in 1819 5
Antoine Germond, who landed in New York in 1819 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Germond (post 1700) +

Jaynee Germond (b. 1957), American politician, candidate for the United States House of Representatives in Oregon's 4th congressional district in 2008 and 2010
Jack Worthen Germond (b. 1928), American journalist and author

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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)