Show ContentsAbnett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Abnett is a name that came to England in the 11th century wave of migration that was set off by the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Abnett family lived in or near the settlement of Abney in Derbyshire.

Early Origins of the Abnett family

The surname Abnett was first found in the counties of Derbyshire and Norfolk, where the family is descended from William D'Aubigny, a companion of Duke William of Normandy. His son, Nigel, became one of the greatest land owners in England having Lordships in Buckingham, Leicester, Bedford, Warwick and Derbyshire.

Early History of the Abnett family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Abnett research. Another 37 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1634, 1640, 1676, 1690, 1694, 1698, 1700, 1721, 1727 and 1750 are included under the topic Early Abnett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Abnett Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Abnett has been recorded under many different variations, including Abney, Daubney, Daubeney, Daubny, Daubeny, Dabny and others.

Early Notables of the Abnett family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Edward Abney (ca. 1634-1727), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Leicester Borough (1690 to 1698); and Sir Thomas Abney (1640-1721) from the Derbyshire branch of the family was Lord Mayor of London in 1694. Mary, Lady Abney...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Abnett Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Abnett family

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Abnetts were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America: Thomas Dabney who settled in Barbados in 1660; Thomas Abney settled in Maryland 1774; John Dabney landed in New York state in 1820.


Contemporary Notables of the name Abnett (post 1700) +

  • Mrs. Susan Tracy Abnett B.E.M., British Childminder and Volunteer for Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years, was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire on 8th June 2018, for services to Early Years Education 1
  • Dan Abnett (b. 1965), British comic book writer and novelist; he worked for Marvel Comics and DC Comics, his graphic novels hav sold over 1,150,000 copies as of May 2008


  1. "Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62310, 31 October 2019 | London Gazette, The Gazette, June 2018, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/62310/supplement/B1


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