The name Blanceflower is part of the ancient legacy of the early Norman inhabitants that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Blanceflower was a Norman name used for a man with a pale appearance. This nickname derives from the Old French blanch, meaning white or pale, and fleur, meaning flower.
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Early Origins of the Blanceflower family
The surname Blanceflower was first found in Somerset where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Kingston, and conjecturally the family is descended from Hubert de St. Clar who held his lands from the Count of Mortaine at the time of the taking of the Domesday Book Survey in 1086 A.D.
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Early History of the Blanceflower family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blanceflower research. Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Blanceflower History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Blanceflower 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 Blanceflower, Blanchflower, Blancheflower, Blanchflour, Blankflower and many more.
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Early Notables of the Blanceflower family
More information is included under the topic Early Blanceflower Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Blanceflower family
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 Blanceflower name or one of its variants: Elizabeth Blanchflower who settled in Barbados in 1678.
England
