First found in County of Yorkshire in 1212. Richard Dionys of Yorkshire, was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379.

Faced by this persecution and the generally unstable political climate of those days, many Scots chose to leave their homeland for Ireland, Australia, and North America in search of greater opportunity and freedom. The colonies across the Atlantic were the most popular choice, but a passage there was neither cheap nor easily suffered. Passengers arrived sick and poor, but those who made it intact often found land and more tolerant societies in which to live. These brave settlers formed the backbone of the burgeoning nations of Canada and the United States. It is only this century that the ancestors of these families have begun to recover their collective identity through the patriotic highland games and clan societies that have sprung up throughout North America. Research into early immigration and passenger lists revealed many immigrants bearing the name Denison: Edward Denison, who settled in Virginia in 1623; Dannie Dennison, who was on record in New England in 1626; William Denison, his wife Margaret, and their three sons, who settled in Massachusetts in 1631.

Motto Translated: I repel adversity by virtue.

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