Fleenor History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The origins of the Fleenor name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived near a creek, perhaps with a wood nearby. Fleet is derived from the Old English word fleot, for a rapidly rushing stream. The suffix "wood" was probably added to the name later. 1

Early Origins of the Fleenor family

The surname Fleenor was first found in Lincolnshire at Fleet, a parish, in the union of Holbeach, hundred of Elloe, parts of Holland. 2 There are other villages and parishes named Fleet in Dorset and Hampshire, but this parish is the oldest as it was listed as Fleot in the Domesday Book of 1086. 3

Fleet Street in London which is named after the River Fleet, London's largest underground river is probably the most famous use of the word "fleet." This street was the home of British national newspapers until the 1980s. Fleet Prison, built in 1197 was a notorious London prison adjacent to the River Fleet and was active until 1844 and later demolished in 1846.

As far as the surname is concerned, the first records were listed in Lincolnshire in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273: John de Flete; Richard de Flet; and Laurence de Flete. 4

Early History of the Fleenor family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fleenor research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1421, 1465, 1648, 1688, 1689, 1692, 1700 and 1712 are included under the topic Early Fleenor History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fleenor Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Fleenor were recorded, including Fleet, Fleete, Flete and others.

Early Notables of the Fleenor family

Distinguished members of the family include John Flete (fl. 1421-1465), a Benedictine monk, prior of Westminster Abbey in the reign of Henry VI, and the author of a Latin chronicle of the early history of that foundation, entered the monastery of St. Peter's, Westminster, about 1421. 5Sir John Fleet (1648-1712), the son of the innkeeper Richard...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fleenor Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fleenor Ranking

In the United States, the name Fleenor is the 7,214^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 6

Fleenor migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Fleenor family emigrate to North America:

Fleenor Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Creedmore Fleenor, aged 42, who settled in America, in 1910
James Wright Fleenor, aged 41, who immigrated to Grand Rapids, Mich., in 1920
James W. Fleenor, aged 43, who immigrated to the United States, in 1923

Contemporary Notables of the name Fleenor (post 1700) +

John P. Fleenor, American still photographer, known for his work on Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Mission: Impossible III (2006) and Neighbors
Brigadier General Kenneth Raymond Fleenor (1929-2010), American senior officer in the United States Air Force, Base Commander of Randolph Air Force Base and later Mayor of Selma, Texas
Jamie Fleenor, American actor, known for Wild Horses (1985)
Dan Fleenor, American Hollywood stuntman, known for his work on The Daredevil (1972)
LeRoy Fleenor, American founder of Fleenor Paper Company in 1962

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/