Yancey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Yancey family

The surname Yancey was first found in Norfolk where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Warenne who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086.

Early History of the Yancey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Yancey research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1040 is included under the topic Early Yancey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Yancey Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Yancy, Yancey, Wauncy, Wancy, Vanci, Wancy, Wancey, de Wanceio, Yantzy, Yantcy and many more.

Early Notables of the Yancey family

More information is included under the topic Early Yancey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Yancey Ranking

In the United States, the name Yancey is the 2,347^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 2

Yancey migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Yancey Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Robert Yancey, a minister who left London and settled in Virginia in 1768
Robert Yancey, who landed in Virginia in 1768 3

Yancey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

B. Yancey, who arrived at the port of San Francisco in 1851
G. Worth Yancey, aged 47, who landed in America, in 1894

Yancey Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Geo. E. Yancey, aged 29, who immigrated to the United States, in 1905
Martin Yancey, aged 28, who immigrated to America from Ballaghere, Ballaghaderen, in 1905
Mrs. D.M. Yancey, aged 36, who landed in America, in 1905
David W. Yancey, aged 32, who landed in America, in 1906
Kate A. Yancey, aged 20, who settled in America from Ballymote, Ireland, in 1907
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Yancey (post 1700) +

Benjamin Cudworth Yancey Jr. (1817-1891), American politician, lawyer, officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War
Captain Lewis Alonzo Yancey (1895-1940), American aviator and air navigator
Lovie Yancey (1912-2008), American founder of the Fatburger restaurant chain
Estelle "Mama" Yancey (1896-1986), American blues singer
Philip Yancey (b. 1949), American Christian author
William Lowndes Yancey (1814-1863), American journalist, politician, orator, diplomat and leader of the Southern secession movement
Albert "Bert" W. Yancey (1938-1994), American professional PGA golfer
Bartlett Yancey Jr. (1785-1828), Democratic-Republican U.S. Congressman from North Carolina
James Dewitt Yancey (1974-2006), better known by his stage name Jay Dee, Grammy-winning music producer
James Edwards "Jimmy" Yancey (1894-1951), American pianist, composer, and lyricist

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
"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)