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![Show Contents]() Resen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The Resen surname comes from the Middle English, Old French word "raison," meaning "the power of reason;" as such it was most likely originally a nickname for an intelligent person. Early Origins of the Resen familyThe surname Resen was first found in Lincolnshire where they held a family seat at Market, Middle and West Rasen which were held by Bishop Odo of Bayeux. The under tenant holding from the Bishop was Alfred of Lincoln, a Norman noble and, conjecturally, the Reason family are descended from him. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year 1202 when Robert de Rasene held estates in Lincolnshire. Early History of the Resen familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Resen research. Another 113 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Resen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Resen Spelling VariationsAnglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Reason, Rasen, Rason, Rayson, Reson, Reasons, Resons, Reeson, Resen, Resun, Raysun, Rasne and many more. Early Notables of the Resen familyMore information is included under the topic Early Resen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Resen familyFor many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Resen or a variant listed above were: Ralph Reason, who came to St. Christopher in 1635; James Reason, who arrived in Bermuda 1635; Henry Reason, who came to Virginia in 1635; Barbarie Reason, who arrived in Barbados in 1635.
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