Vereen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Vereen is a name that was carried to England in the great wave of migration from Normandy following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Vereen family lived in Essex, but the family can trace their roots much farther back. They were originally from Ver, near Bayeux, Normandy where it was from the local form of this place-name, de Ver. Their surname literally translates as from Ver. 1

"No prouder name than De Vere has graced the annals of our English baronage; none has been borne by a longer succession of Earls; none has been more magnificently extolled, or more eloquently lamented. Its very sound is aristocratic, and carries with it the memory of its 567 years of nobility." 2

Early Origins of the Vereen family

The surname Vereen was first found in Essex where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. In the Domesday Book, 3

Aubrey (Albericus) de Vere (died c. 1112) was a tenant-in-chief in England of William the Conqueror in 1086 and progenitor of the Earls of Oxford. He was one of the great landowners of England and held his castle from the King at Hedingham in Essex. He also held Kensington a suburb of London. 4

The first Earl of Oxford was Aubrey de Vere, (c. 1115-1194.) His son Robert de Vere (c. 1165-1221), 3rd Earl of Oxford was hereditary Master Chamberlain of England and was one of the guarantors of Magna Carta. This line of earls continued until Aubrey de Vere, 20th Earl of Oxford (1627-1703.) Lavenham, Suffolk, became the home of the family of the Earls of Oxford.

"The church was rebuilt in the reign of Henry VI., partly by the De Veres, earls of Oxford, who resided here, and partly by the family of Spring, wealthy clothiers. The entrance is by a porch, supposed to have been erected by John de Vere (1442-1513), the fourteenth earl of Oxford, and much enriched; over the arch is a finely-sculptured double niche, and on each side of the niche are three escutcheons, each bearing quartered coats of arms of the De Vere family." 5

Early History of the Vereen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Vereen research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1212, 1338, 1385, 1400, 1408, 1417, 1462, 1482, 1499, 1516, 1526, 1540, 1550, 1562, 1575, 1593, 1604, 1625, 1627, 1632 and 1703 are included under the topic Early Vereen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Vereen Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Vereen include DeVere, DeVera, Dever, Devere, Vere, Ver, Vaire and many more.

Early Notables of the Vereen family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Robert de Vere, Earl of Oxford, who was made Marquess of Dublin in 1385 by King Richard II; Aubrey de Vere, 10th Earl of Oxford (c. 1338-1400); Richard de Vere, 11th Earl of Oxford (1385?-1417); John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford (1408-1462), he was convicted of high treason and beheaded on Tower Hill on 26 February 1462; John de Vere, 14th Earl of Oxford (1499-1526), an English peer and landowner...
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Vereen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Vereen Ranking

In the United States, the name Vereen is the 7,786^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Vereen family to Ireland

Some of the Vereen 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.

Migration of the Vereen family

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Vereens to arrive on North American shores: Edward Dever who settled in New London Conn. in 1811 with his family; Cornelius, Daniel, Denis, Edward, Hugh, James, John, Neil, Samuel, Thomas, and William Dever all settled in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1865.

Contemporary Notables of the name Vereen (post 1700) +

Ben Vereen (b. 1946), Tony award winning American actor, dancer, and singer
W. C. Vereen, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Georgia, 1912 7
E. M. Vereen, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Georgia, 1944; Member of Georgia State Board of Education 2nd District, 1947-48 7

The Vereen 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: Vero nihil verius
Motto Translation: Nothing truer than truth.

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
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 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html