| ![Show Contents]() Humphery History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The Humphery surname comes from the Old French personal name Humfrey, a cognate of the Old German names Hunfrid and Humfrid. This name was originally derived from the Germanic elements "hun," which means "bear cub," and "frid" or "fred," which mean "peace." It was borne by a 9th century saint and Bishop of Therouanne, who was popular among Norman settlers of England. 1 Early Origins of the Humphery familyThe surname Humphery was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where early Latin forms of the name were first used: Hunfridus, Humfridus. 2 Many records at this time were a mixture of Latin and Old English. Humfridus was recorded in Suffolk in 1186-1188, but by the 13th century records were often in English, as seen by William Humfrey, who was recorded in Bedfordshire in 1240. William Humfray, Umfrey was found in the Assize Rolls for Staffordshire in 1293 and a few years later, Roger Houmfrey was recorded in 1311. 3 The name is "rarely found north of a line drawn from the Wash to the Dee. Humphrey is confined to the eastern half of the area, in Berks, Norfolk, Surrey, Sussex, etc. Humphreys characterizes the western half, being most numerous in North Wales, and after that in Shropshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, etc. Both are rare or absent in the four south-western counties." 4 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had mixed entries for name as a forename and a surname in a wide variety of spellings: John Hunfray, Oxfordshire; Henry filius Umfridi, Oxfordshire; Peter Umfry, Oxfordshire; Umfrey le Gerische, Oxfordshire; and Richard Humfrey, Oxfordshire. 5 Early History of the Humphery familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Humphery research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1069, 1391, 1447, 1579, 1621, 1647, 1648, 1662, 1674, 1701, 1712, 1714, 1719, 1735 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Humphery History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Humphery Spelling VariationsThere are relatively few surnames native to Wales, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. Early variations of Welsh surnames can be explained by the fact that very few people in the early Middle Ages were literate. Priests and the few other literate people were responsible for recording names in official documents. And because most people could not specific how to properly record their names it was up to the individual recorder of that time to determine how a spoken name should be recorded. Variations due to the imprecise or improper recording of a name continued later in history when names originally composed in the Brythonic Celtic, language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, were transliterated into English. Welsh names that were documented in English often changed dramatically since the native language of Wales, which was highly inflected, did not copy well. Occasionally, however, spelling variations were carried out according to an individual's specific design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by minor variations. The spelling variations of the name Humphery have included Humphreys, Homfray, Humfrey, Humfrie, Humfries, Humfreys, Humphereys, Humphries, Humphrays, Humphray, Humphrey, Humphris, Humphry, Humphryes and many more. Early Notables of the Humphery familyProminent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Humphrey (1391-1447), the son of King Henry IV, who was Duke of Gloucester and Earl of Pembroke, and also a patron of letters; Sir William Humphreys, Lord Mayor of London in 1714; William Humfrey (died 1579) English goldsmith and Assay Master to...
Another 52 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Humphery Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Humphery RankingIn the United States, the name Humphery is the 16,492nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6  Migration of the Humphery family to Ireland
Some of the Humphery family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Humphery migration to the United States | + |
During the latter half of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, the people of Wales journeyed to North America to find a new life. They made major contributions to the arts, industry and commerce of both Canada and the United States, and added a rich cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Humphery:
Humphery Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Samuel Humphery, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1862 7
Humphery Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Mr. James Humphery, (b. 1905), aged 5 months, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Philadelphia" arriving at Ellis Island, New York in 1905 en route to Wheeling, West Virginia, USA 8
- Mr. John Payne Humphery, (b. 1901), aged 4, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Philadelphia" arriving at Ellis Island, New York in 1905 en route to Wheeling, West Virginia, USA 8
- Mrs. John Humphery, (b. 1878), aged 27, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Philadelphia" arriving at Ellis Island, New York in 1905 en route to Wheeling, West Virginia, USA 8
- Derby Humphery, aged 20, who arrived in New York City, New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Lake Akkra" from Santiago, Cuba 9
- Sarah Humphery, aged 31, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Adriatic" from Southampton, England 9
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Contemporary Notables of the name Humphery (post 1700) | + |
- Robert Charles Humphery (b. 1961), former professional American football player who played from 1984 to 1995
- Sir William Henry Humphery CB (1827-1909), 1st Baronet, a British Conservative politician, Member of Parliament for Andover (1863–1867)
- Cecil Raymond Julian Humphery -Smith OBE FSA FHS FRHSC (b. 1928), British genealogist and heraldist
- Frederick Thomas Humphery (1841-1908), Australian politician, Member for Shoalhaven in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly (1882-1887)
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: L'homme vrai aime son pays
Motto Translation: The true man loves his country.
- Dixon, Bernard Homer, Surnames. London: John Wilson and son, 1857. Print
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. 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)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- 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)
- Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
- Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
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Humphery migration to the United States 
Wales
Ireland
