Kearse History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the name Kearse date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence in Kersey, a parish in Suffolk. The place-name Kersey is derived from the Old English elements cærse, which means watercress, and eg, the old English word for island. It was recorded as Cæresige c. 995, and as Careseia in the Domesday Book, 1 compiled in 1086. The name as a total means "island where the watercress grows." The surname is derived from the place-name. In the early Middle Ages, local surnames were often proceeded by the word de or atte, which meant of and at, respectively. This custom was brought to England by the Normans after they conquered the Saxon Nobility at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The surname as a whole, de Kearse, meant "of Kersey." Eventually, the use of de and atte declined, as Old English and Old Norman fused into Old English over the next few centuries.

Early Origins of the Kearse family

The surname Kearse was first found in Suffolk at Kersey, a village and a civil parish in the Babergh district which today includes the hamlets of Kersey Tye, Kersey Upland, Wicker Street Green, and William's Green. Originally part of the hundred of Cosford, it comprised about 1,465 acres and an Augustine priory was founded there at an early period dedicated to St. Mary and St. Anthony; at the Dissolution it was granted to King's College, Cambridge. 2 Kersey is the name of a coarse woollen cloth having derived its name from kersey yarn and ultimately from the village of Kersey.

Early History of the Kearse family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kearse research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1272, 1616, 1690 and 1720 are included under the topic Early Kearse History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kearse Spelling Variations

Kearse has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Kearse have been found, including Kersey, Kercey, Keresey, Kearsey and others.

Early Notables of the Kearse family

Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kearse Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kearse Ranking

In the United States, the name Kearse is the 7,672^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Kearse migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Kearse Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Patrick Kearse, aged 25, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Fitzjames"
Michael Kearse, aged 26, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Henry Moore"

Contemporary Notables of the name Kearse (post 1700) +

James Carlisle Kearse (b. 1893), American Democratic Party politician, Member of South Carolina State House of Representatives from Bamberg County, 1921-24; Member of South Carolina State Senate from Bamberg County, 1941-56 4

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html