Jent History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
England
France

The name Jent is of Anglo-Saxon origin. It was name for a noble or wellborn individual. The surname Jent originally derived from the Old English word Gente. Nicknames often described the time or season of the birth, baptism or conversion of the original bearer. In addition, numerous nicknames referred to various religious festivals, medieval name days, or the particular day of the week when feudal services were fulfilled.

Early Origins of the Jent family

The surname Jent was first found in Hampshire where Robert le Gent was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1195. A few years later, John Gent was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Worcestershire in 1200. 1

Simon de Ghent (d. 1315), was Bishop of Salisbury, "born at Westminster. In 1284 he was Archdeacon of Oxford, and was present in this year when Devorguila assigned lands to her newly founded college of Balliol." 2

Early History of the Jent family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jent research. Another 96 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1200, 1593, 1693, 1771 and 1778 are included under the topic Early Jent History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jent Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Jent have been found, including Gent, Ghent and others.

Early Notables of the Jent family

Distinguished members of the family include Sir Thomas Gent (d. 1593), English judge, the eldest or only son of William Gent, Lord of the Manor of Moyns, Steeple Bumpstead, Essex, of ancient family.Thomas Gent (1693-1778), was a printer, "born in Ireland on 4 May 1693, 'of meek and gentle parents ... rich in grace, though not...
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Jent Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jent Ranking

In the United States, the name Jent is the 12,600^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Jent migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become powerful new nations. Among early immigrants of the Jent surname to cross the Atlantic and come to North America were:

Jent Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Tho Jent, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 4
William Jent, who landed in Virginia in 1662 4

Jent 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:

Jent Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Charles Jent, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840

Contemporary Notables of the name Jent (post 1700) +

Larry Jent, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Montana, 1996, 2000, 2008 (alternate); Member of Montana State Senate 32nd District; Elected 2010 5

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html