Show ContentsPalin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Palin reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Palin family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Palin family lived in Pavilly, in Seine Maritime, Normandy.

"A monastery was founded here by Amalbert, Lord of Pavilly 664, which was restored by Thomas de Pavilly, c. 1090 (Neustria Pia, 328). Reginald de Pavilly died in the first Crusade at Acre (Des Bois). Ralph de Pavilly witnessed a charter of William Earl of Surrey, temp. Henry I." [1]

"The Pavelys," says Banks, were a very numerous family, and greatly divided, which renders a connected account most difficult to give with any accuracy to be depended upon." Contemporary with the above-named Ralph, according to Sir Richard Hoare, was Reginald de Paveley, Lord of Westbury in Wiltshire, where his descendants." [2]

Early Origins of the Palin family

The surname Palin was first found in Dorset where they held a family seat at Charlton Marshall, when Reginald de Pavelli was granted the King's lands by King Henry II. Later King John granted Pillington of Norfolk to the Lords of Pavelli, Roger and Thomas. The son, however, Thomas Pavelli or Thomas Pawley still adhered to the King of France in 1204. [3]

"There was a flourishing branch seated at Bickenhall in the county of Somerset; and another in Hampshire ; but this latter, according to Woodward, was founded by Walter de Pavilly, Mayor of Rouen, who was one of those who were banished from Normandy on account of their adherence to King johns He settled at Winchester, whence the name came into the county. Reginald de Paveley in 1264 was one of the Hampshire barons summoned to serve against Llewellyn. Robert de Paviliaco held Rodington in Nottinghamshire in the time of Henry I., and founded a family that was seated there till the end of Edward III.'s reign." [2]

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had two early entries for the family with the Pauly spelling: Geoffrey Pauly, Cambridgeshire; and William Pauly in Cambridgeshire. [4] [5]

Early History of the Palin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Palin research. Another 132 words (9 lines of text) covering the year 1635 is included under the topic Early Palin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Palin Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Pawley, Pauley, Paulye, Paulley and others.

Early Notables of the Palin family

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


United States Palin migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Palin name or one of its variants:

Palin Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Jane Palin, who arrived in Maryland in 1668 [6]
Palin Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Laz Palin, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 [6]
Palin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Palin, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1834 [6]
  • Richard Palin, who arrived in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1876 [6]

Australia Palin migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Palin Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Palin who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bussorah Merchant" on 24th March 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [7]
  • Mr. Edward Palin, British Convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Dunvegan Castle" on 13th March 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [8]
  • Mr. William Palin, English convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Blundell" on 13th March 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [9]
  • Robert Palin, aged 19, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Macedon" [10]
  • Robert Palin, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Macedon" in 1849 [10]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Palin (post 1700) +

  • Sarah Louise Palin (b. 1964), American politician, commentator and author, 9th Governor of Alaska (2006-2009), Chairperson of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (2003-2004), Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 Presidential election
  • Bristol Sheeran Marie Palin (b. 1990), the American oldest daughter of former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin
  • Michael Edward Palin KCMG, CBE, FRGS (b. 1943), English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter, one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python, perhaps best known for his BAFTA Award winning role in A Fish Called Wanda [11]
  • Leigh Palin (b. 1965), former English footballer who played from 1983 to 1993
  • Harold "Moggy" Palin (1916-1990), English former professional rugby league footballer who played from 1936 to 1953, member of the England national Team (1947-1948) and the Great Britain National Team in 1947
  • Tom Palin (b. 1974), award winning English painter and educator
  • Air Chief Marshal Sir Roger Hewlett Palin (b. 1938), former British senior Royal Air Force commander
  • John Henry Palin (1870-1934), British trades unionist and Labour Party politician, Member of Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne West (1924-1931)
  • Brett Palin (b. 1984), Canadian ice hockey defenceman
  • Leo Palin (b. 1956), retired Finnish professional tennis player

HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. Palin, British Corporal, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking [12]
North Sea Flood
  • George Palin, British worker aboard the trawler "Michael Griffith" killed in the North Sea Flood, a major storm surge in 1953


  1. 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)
  2. 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
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  6. 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)
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bussorah-merchant
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dunvegan-castle
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blundell
  10. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The MACEDON 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Macedon.htm
  11. "Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists
  12. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html


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