Jessey Surname History

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The earliest origins of the name Jessey date back to the time of the Anglo-Saxons. The name is derived from the baptismal name for the son of Judd, which was a pet form for the Old English personal name Jordan.

Early Origins of the Jessey family

The surname Jessey was first found in Yorkshire where the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included Willelraus Gesson as holding lands there at that time. 1

"Jesson was the name of a minister of Prestwold in the reign of Elizabeth. Two centuries ago Sir William Jesson resided at Burleigh Park, Loughborough." 2

Early History of the Jessey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jessey research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1580, 1603, 1628, 1640, 1648, 1651, 1661, 1663, 1790 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Jessey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jessey 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 Jessey include Jesson, Jessen, Gesson and others.

Early Notables of the Jessey family

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

Migration of the Jessey family to Ireland

Some of the Jessey family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Jessey 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 Jessey or a variant listed above: Richard Jessen, who sailed to Philadelphia in 1852; Henry Jesson to Philadelphia in 1865 and George Jesson, also to Philadelphia in 1866.

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)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.