Barnacle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The lineage of the name Barnacle begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It is a result of when they lived in Warwickshire, where they took their name from the hamlet of Barnacle in the parish of Bulkington, six miles from Coventry. 1

Early Origins of the Barnacle family

The surname Barnacle was first found in Warwickshire at Barnacle, a hamlet, in the parish of Bulkington, union of Nuneaton, Kirby division of the hundred of Knightlow. 2 "It is mentioned in the Conqueror's survey, and is supposed to have anciently belonged to the family of Fitzwith." 2 At that time it was spelt Bernhangre. 3 The place name literally means "wooded slope by a barn," from the Old English words "bere-aern" + "hangra." 4

Early History of the Barnacle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Barnacle research. Another 215 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1273, 1344, 1500 and 1545 are included under the topic Early Barnacle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Barnacle Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Barnacle has undergone many spelling variations, including Barnacle, Barnicle, Bernicle, Barnackle, Barnackell, Barnaucle and many more.

Early Notables of the Barnacle family

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

Barnacle migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Barnacle were among those contributors:

Barnacle Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mary Barnacle, who landed in Virginia in 1703 5
John Barnacle who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1772

Barnacle migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Barnacle Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Henry Barnacle, aged 30, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "La Hogue" in 1874
Eliza Barnacle, aged 28, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "La Hogue" in 1874
William Barnacle, aged 7, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "La Hogue" in 1874
Eliza Barnacle, aged 5, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "La Hogue" in 1874
Henry Barnacle, aged 2, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "La Hogue" in 1874
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
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)