| ![Show Contents]() Point History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England The ancient name of Point finds its origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from a name for a maker of points, which are cords for fastening together doublet and hose; a maker of garter belts. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old English word poynte, which meant "a tagged lace or cord made of twisted yarn, silk, or leather." 1 It is also possible that the name is derived from the construction term pointing, which is the practice of fastening and sealing roofing tiles with mortar. This practice gained currency in the 13th century and was called pointing. Early Origins of the Point familyThe surname Point was first found in Berkshire, where Benedict le Puinter was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Berkshire in 1206. "Some of the Poynters, however are of French origin, being descendants of Ambrose Pointier, of Arras, who settled [in England] at the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. The armorials of this family are pointedly allusive; the shield contains pointed piles. " 1 Early History of the Point familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Point research. Another 111 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1206, 1273, 1314, 1514, 1556, 1590, 1593, 1626, 1629, 1633, 1663, 1665, 1668, 1710, 1754 and 1850 are included under the topic Early Point History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Point Spelling VariationsSound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Point family name include Pointer, Poynter, Pointier, Ponet and others. Early Notables of the Point familyNotables of this surname at this time include: - Sir Robert Pointz (c 1590-1665), an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1626 and 1629; and Sir John Pointz (died 1633), an English landowner and politician who sat...
- John Pointer (1668-1754), was an English antiquary, born at Alkerton, Oxfordshire who claimed to be descended from Sir William Pointer of Whitchurch, Hampshire. His father, also called John, was recto...
Point RankingIn France, the name Point is the 1,504th most popular surname with an estimated 3,902 people with that name. 2 Migration of the Point familyFor political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Point surname or a spelling variation of the name include : Robert Pointer, also recorded as Robert Poynter, who came to Virginia in 1654; William Poynter, who arrived in Virginia in 1655; Edward Poynter, who came to Virginia in 1666.
| Contemporary Notables of the name Point (post 1700) | + |
- François Hilarion Point, French Brigadier General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 3
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Pense a pointer
Motto Translation: Think a point
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
- Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, August 12) François Point. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html
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