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Poynter History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Poynter History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Poynter name was coined by the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. Poynter was originally a name given to someone who worked as 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 Poynter family

The surname Poynter 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 Poynter family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Poynter 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 Poynter History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Poynter Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Poynter are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Poynter include: Pointer, Poynter, Pointier, Ponet and others.

Early Notables of the Poynter family

Notables 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 in the House of Commons in 1593.John Pointer (1668-1754), was an English antiquary...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Poynter Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Poynter Ranking

In the United States, the name Poynter is the 7,068^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2

Poynter migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Poynter or a variant listed above:

Poynter Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Elizabeth Poynter, who arrived in Maryland in 1653-1661 3
William Poynter, who arrived in Virginia in 1655
Thomas Poynter, who landed in Virginia in 1657 3
Edward Poynter, who settled in Virginia in 1666
Thomas Poynter, who arrived in Maryland in 1674 with his wife and children

Poynter migration to Australia +

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

Poynter Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

William Poynter, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "John Woodall" in 1849 4

Poynter migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Poynter Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

John Poynter, aged 40, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Fifeshire" in 1842 5
Miss Poynter, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Royal Stuart" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand in 1855 6
Thomas Poynter, aged 22, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Woodlark" in 1874
Henry Poynter, aged 29, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alumbagh" in 1875 7
Eliza Poynter, aged 29, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alumbagh" in 1875 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Poynter (post 1700) +

James Irsley Poynter (1916-1950), United States Marine posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on November 4, 1950
Nelson Poynter (1903-1979), American publisher, founder of the Times Publishing Company
William Amos Poynter (1848-1909), American politician, Member of Nebraska State House of Representatives, 1885; Member of Nebraska State Senate, 1891; Governor of Nebraska, 1899-1901 8
Kenneth A. Poynter, American politician, Mayor of Harper Woods, Michigan, 2001-05 8
John J. Poynter, American politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Pleasants County, 1885-86 8
D. Orr Poynter, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Idaho, 1912 8
Columbus Corbin Poynter (1880-1950), American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kentucky, 1936 8
Bill Poynter, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Arkansas, 1964, 2008 8
William Poynter (1762-1827), English Catholic priest, Vicar Apostolic of the London District (1812-1827)
Ambrose Poynter (1796-1886), English architect, one of the founding members of the Institute of British Architects in 1834, father of Edward Poynter
... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Poynter Motto +

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

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
"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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) JOHN WOODALL 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849JohnWoodall.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 4th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html