Janette History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The generations and branches of the Janette family share a name that has its roots in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. The name Janette comes from the biblical name of Jane. This name was first used in England during the 15th century, and was originally derived from the Old French Jehanne, which also had biblical origins from Johannes.

"This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor, 'the son of Jan,' from diminutive Janet or Janot." 1

Early Origins of the Janette family

The surname Janette was first found in Yorkshire, where Willelmus filius Jonet was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for 1297. A few years later at Wakefield, Jonot (with no forename ) was listed in 1308 and down in Cornwall, we found John Joney in 1297. The Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327 reordered Roberts and Simon Janot. 2

Early Somerset records show Henry Janet, 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of Edward III.) 3

Early History of the Janette family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Janette research. Another 226 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1297, 1300, 1327, 1500 and 1781 are included under the topic Early Janette History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Janette Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Janette include Janot, Janet, Jonet, Jannet, Janett, Janette, Jannett, Jenet, Jennet, Jenett and many more.

Early Notables of the Janette family

More information is included under the topic Early Janette Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Janette family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Janette or a variant listed above: John Jennet, who sailed to Pennsylvania in 1682. Peter Jannett journeyed to Maryland in 1776 and N. Janett sailed to New York in 1823.

Contemporary Notables of the name Janette (post 1700) +

A. Janette Dolan, American Republican politician, Mayor of Farmington Hills, Michigan, 1978, 1985; Member of Michigan State House of Representatives, 1989-96 (69th District 1989-92, 37th District 1993-96)
Kaitlin Janette Doubleday (b. 1984), American actress
Mrs. Janette Elizabeth Burt B.E.M., British Volunteer for Dementia UK was appointed the British Empire Medal on 8th June 2018, for services to those with Dementia and to their Families 4
Janette Ann "Jan" Brittin (1959-2017), England cricketer who played 27 Tests and 63 ODIs between 1979 and 1998; she held the record for taking the most number of catches in Women's Cricket World Cup history (19)
Janette Anne Dimech (b. 1951), birth name of Jeanette, an English-born Spanish singer
Janette Oke (b. 1935), Canadian author from Champion, Alberta, Canada
Janette Ahrens (b. 1923), American figure skater
Janette Padilla Sexton, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Texas State House of Representatives 144th District, 2006 5
Janette Sadik-Kahn, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1984 6

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62310, 31 October 2019 | London Gazette, The Gazette, June 2018, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/62310/supplement/B1
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html