Minner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Minner is one of the many names that the Normans brought with them when they conquered England in 1066. The Minner family lived in Herefordshire. Occupational names frequently were derived from the principal object associated with the activity of the original bearer, such as tools or products. In this case, this surname likely also was derived from the trade name for a miner. 1

Early Origins of the Minner family

The surname Minner was first found in Herefordshire. "This gallant Norman family appears to have been rewarded by grants of land in Herefordshire. Certain it is that the estate of Treago in that county has been held by the family of Mynors from the era of the Conquest even to the present day, [c.1880] being now possessed by Peter Rickards Mynors Esq., who also represents the great and historic house of Baskerville of Erdesley, and derives in direct descent from the royal line of Plantagenet. " 2

We did find this interesting entry about this family: "A Herefordshire family of this name claims to have been seated at Treago, in that county, from the time of the Conquest: but their pedigree only begins in the fourteenth century with John de Miners, Constable of the Castle of St. Briavel under Edward II. The name, however, is found much earlier, as Gislebert and Henry de Mineriis occur in Palgrave's Rotuli Curia Regis of 1198. They held of the Honour of Breteuil in Normandy." 3

Early History of the Minner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Minner research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1500, 1501, 1608, 1609, 1629, 1654, 1660, 1677, 1690 and 1720 are included under the topic Early Minner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Minner Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Mynors, Minors, Miners, Mynor, Myner, Miner and others.

Early Notables of the Minner family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Richard Miners, English politician, High Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1501; Thomas Minors (1609-1677), an English merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons...
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Minner Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Minner Ranking

In the United States, the name Minner is the 12,373^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Minner migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Minner name or one of its variants:

Minner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Johannes Minner, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1804 5
Margret Minner, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1804 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Minner (post 1700) +

Ruth Ann Minner (1935-2021), née Coverdale, an American politician and businesswoman from Milford, in Kent County, Delaware, 72nd Governor of Delaware from 2001 to 2009, 23rd Lieutenant Governor of Delaware from 1993 to 2001

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
"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)