Show ContentsArmey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Armey family

The surname Armey was first found in Lincolnshire where the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Osgooby, held by Odo the Bishop of Bayeux, the King's half brother who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. The parish Silk Willoughby in Lincolnshire was an ancient family seat for the family.

"The manor was possessed by Sir William Armyn, at first keeper of the privy seal and vice-chancellor to Edward II., and afterwards lord chancellor, and bishop of Norwich; it remained in the family until 1662." 1

One branch "was of Yorkshire origin, and has been traced to one Sewal de Armyne, stated to be the grandfather of Richard and William de Ayreminne, the well-known ecclesiastics of the fourteenth century." 2

William de Ayreminne or Ayermin (d. 1336) was "Bishop of Norwich, [and] was descended from an ancient family settled at Osgodby, Lincolnshire. He was the eldest of three brothers, of whom Richard obtained many ecclesiastical offices, and Adam became Archdeacon of Norfolk. " 2

Richard de Ayreminne or Ayermin (d. 1340?) was Chancellor of the dioceses of Norwich and Salisbury and was a younger brother of William de Ayreminne, Bishop of Norwich. 2

Early History of the Armey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Armey research. Another 148 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1401, 1510, 1570, 1593, 1600, 1603, 1610, 1621, 1622, 1646, 1651, 1658 and 1676 are included under the topic Early Armey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Armey Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Armine, Armyne, Airmine, Airmyne, Airmin, Ermine, Ermyne, Armyn, Armyne, Ermyn, Ayrmine and many more.

Early Notables of the Armey family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir William Airmine, 1st Baronet (1593-1651), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1621 and 1651; Sir William Airmine (1622-1658), 2nd Baronet of Osgodby (1651-1658), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons (1646-53), son of Sir William Airmine, 1st Baronet (1593-1651.) Lady Mary Armine, Airmine or Armyne (died 1676), was a learned English gentlewoman and benefactor. She was "remarkable for her learning, piety, and benevolence...
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Armey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Armey migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Armey or a variant listed above:

Armey Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Armey, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Armey (post 1700) +

  • Richard Keith Armey (b. 1940), American Republican politician, U.S. Representative from Texas 26th District, 1985-2003 4


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  3. 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)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 18) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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