Osmon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Osmon is a name that was brought to England by the ancestors of the Osmon family when they migrated to the region after the Norman Conquest in 1066. The Osmon family lived in Dorset. The name, however, is a reference to Osmandville, on the River Bire in Bessin, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. 1

Osmund (fl. 758), the "King of the South-Saxons, is said by Florence of Worcester to have been reigning in 758, at which time the South-Saxons were subject to Wessex, having been subdued by Caedwalla (659?-689) in 686. With the names of other South Saxon kings, under-kings, or ealdormen, the name of Osmund appears in late copies of charters preserved in the register of the church of Chichester." 2

Osmund (fl. 803), Bishop of London, "succeeded bishop Heathobert, who died in 801, and was probably consecrated by Archbishop Æthelheard on his return from Rome in 802." 2

Saint Osmund or Osmer (d. 1099), Bishop of Salisbury, was, "according to a fifteenth-century document preserved in the Register B at Salisbury, son of Henry, count of Seez, by Isabella, daughter of Robert, Duke of Normandy, and sister of William the Conqueror. He accompanied William to England, was one of the royal chaplains, and was eventually made chancellor, probably on the promotion of Osbern or Osbert (d. 1103) to be Bishop of Exeter in March 1072. " 2

Early Origins of the Osmon family

The surname Osmon was first found in Dorset at Melbury Osmond, a village and civil parish in the union of Beaminster, hundred of Yetminster 3 that dates back to 1283 when it was first listed as Melebur Osmund. "Melbury" roughly means "multi-coloured fortified place" from the Old English "maele" + burh." 4 Hence collectively the place name meant "fortified place of a man called Osmund." 4 Little is known about the place name other than the parish church, St. Osmund's was thought to have been built before 1550. It was completely rebuilt in 1745. 3

Used both as a surname and forename, early Gloucestershire records show Osemundus clericus (the cleric) there in 1222. Roger Hosemund was listed in the Feet of Fines for Northumberland in 1199 and Robert Osemund was found in Norfolk in 1221. 5

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 prove the widespread use of the name by this time: John de Osemundeston Norfolk; Geoffrey Osmund, Devon; and Nicholas Osemund, Surrey. Later the Writs of Parliament recorded Richard Osmund, Middlesex, 1313; and John Osmond, Hertfordshire., 1315. 6

In neighbouring Devon, the variants Osmer, Hosmer and Usmar claim ancestry back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where they were collectively recorded as Osmar and Osmer. 7 These variants derived their names from the Old English word meaning "god-fame," whereas the former names derived their name from the Old English word for "god-protector." 5 Early records include William Osmere who was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Devon in 1230 and later, Osmer ater Dune in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. The last entry was as a forename and in this case, it was derived from an the Anglo-Saxon personal name. 8

One source claims "Osmœr was the name of the English soldier whose head, when he was killed by Eadric at the battle of Sceorstan (A.D. 1016), was boastingly paraded as that of King Eadmund, whom Osmær was said to closely resemble." 9

Early History of the Osmon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Osmon research. Another 146 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1555, 1603, 1649, 1658, 1660, 1663 and 1788 are included under the topic Early Osmon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Osmon Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Osmon have been found, including Osmond, Osmund, Osmont, Osmonde, Osmand, Osman, Ozment, Ozmond, Hosmer, Usmar and many more.

Early Notables of the Osmon family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Thomas Osmond who was burnt for heresy, June 15th, 1555 in Manningtree, Essex...

Migration of the Osmon family

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Osmon were among those contributors: Adam Osman, who immigrated to Virginia in 1623; John Osmond, who settled in Maryland in 1749; David Osmond, who came to Nova Scotia in 1793; Lewis Osmond, who settled in Philadelphia in 1793.

Contemporary Notables of the name Osmon (post 1700) +

John Osmon, American bass player for Assassin, a heavy metal band formed in San Diego during the summer of 1983

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print