Springs History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Springs is an ancient Anglo-Saxon name that was given to a person who was a young or very active individual, which was originally derived from the Old English word spring literally meaning the season spring. A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames referred to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character. This nickname surname was used to describe the original bearers character as it related to the young shoots in the ground when they would rise from the earth in the spring.

Early Origins of the Springs family

The surname Springs was first found in Suffolk where they were major landowners in East Anglia seated from very ancient times, as Lords of the manor of Lavenham, the family were important merchants in the cloth and wool trade during the Middle Ages. The Spring or DeFonte family claim descendancy through Norman, Peter, William, Hugh de Fonte in Normandy who were listed there in a census (1180-1195.) The earliest record of the name in England was found c. 1198 when Reginald and Emma de Fonte were listed there at that time. 1 Houghton Le Side in Durham was an ancient family seat. "The vill was a portion of the inheritance of the early lords of Raby, and was granted by Robert Fitz-Mildred to the Springs, of whom Sir John Spring was, in 1312, murdered in his manorhouse here by Robert Lascelles, of Yorkshire." 2 and nearby in Houghton Le Spring more early evidence of the family was found. "This place, which takes its name from a family to whom it belonged soon after the Conquest, is one of the great manors of the see of Durham." 2

Early History of the Springs family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Springs research. Another 174 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1311, 1313, 1369, 1390, 1474, 1523, 1547, 1578, 1579, 1597, 1599, 1613, 1637, 1642, 1646, 1648, 1654, 1672, 1674, 1679, 1684, 1697, 1704, 1737, 1740 and 1769 are included under the topic Early Springs History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Springs Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Springs has undergone many spelling variations, including Spring, Springe, Springs, Springes, Springer and others.

Early Notables of the Springs family

Distinguished members of the family include Thomas Spring (c.1474-1523), also referred to as Thomas Spring III, and Thomas Spring of Lavenham, an English clothier in Suffolk and one of the richest men in England at the time; Sir John Spring (d. 1547), of Lavenham, Buxhall, Hitcham, and Cockfield, Suffolk, was an English merchant and politician; Sir William Spring of Lavenham (died 1599), an English politician and merchant, High Sheriff of Suffolk in 1578-1579; Sir William Spring of...
Another 77 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Springs Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Springs Ranking

In the United States, the name Springs is the 7,511^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Springs family to Ireland

Some of the Springs family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Springs migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. 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 Springs were among those contributors:

Springs Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Oliver Springs, who landed in America, in 1904
Maloine Springs, aged 54, who immigrated to America, in 1907
R. A. Springs, aged 37, who immigrated to the United States, in 1910
Eli Springs, who immigrated to the United States, in 1910
Emma Springs, aged 28, who landed in America, in 1910
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Springs (post 1700) +

Mrs. LeRoy Springs, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from South Carolina, 1928 4
Leroy Springs, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from South Carolina, 1888 4
L. Pittman Springs, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Cherbourg, 1924; Glasgow, 1926-29; Plymouth, 1932; Tunis, 1938 4
Elliot Springs Close (b. 1953), American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Senator from South Carolina, 1996 5

The Springs 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: Non mihi sed patriae
Motto Translation: Not for myself, but for my country.

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)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 27) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html