Show ContentsCharnitch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Charnitch is a name whose history is connected to the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Charnitch family once lived in Charnock. It was established there in a pair of townships in Standish in the county of Lancashire. This surname is derived from the Old English Charnok which means one who lives beside the pile of stones. Often times this pile of stones served a primitive marker to establish borders for villages or counties. 1

However, another source claims the name was originally Norman having "derived from the town of Chernoc, in Normandy." 2

Early Origins of the Charnitch family

The surname Charnitch was first found in Lancashire at Charnock, Heath, a township, in the district chapelry of Adlington, parish of Standish, union of Chorley, hundred of Leyland. Charnock-Richard is a nearby township, in the district chapelry of Coppull, parish of Standish, union of Chorley "This place was held in moieties by the Charnocks and Banasters. " 3

"The Charnocks, who have their present home in the Ormskirk district, take their name from Lancashire townships. Roger de Chernock was mayor of Liverpool in 1437." 4

Early History of the Charnitch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Charnitch research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1524, 1525, 1526, 1581, 1587, 1588, 1614, 1624, 1628, 1630, 1645, 1648, 1656, 1663, 1670, 1680, 1690, 1693, 1696 and 1734 are included under the topic Early Charnitch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Charnitch Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Charnitch family name include Chernock, Charnock, Chernick, Chernocke and many more.

Early Notables of the Charnitch family

Distinguished members of the family include Thomas Charnock (c.1526-1581), an English alchemist and occultist who devoted his life to the quest for the Philosopher's Stone. Born in the Isle of Thanet, Kent, in 1524 or 1525, he travelled "all over England in quest of knowledge, he fixed his residence at Oxford, and there fell in with a noted chemist named. " 5 Roger Charnock (1588-1645), was an English politician, Member of Parliament for Newton in 1614; Thomas Charnock (1587-1648), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Newton in 1624; and Stephen Charnock (1628-1680), was an English Puritan Presbyterian clergyman. 5 Job...
Another 98 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Charnitch Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Charnitch family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Charnitch surname or a spelling variation of the name include: John Charnocke, who came to Virginia in 1643; Captain John Charnock of Bedford, who settled in Boston in 1710; Mary Charnock, who settled in Georgia in 1732.



The Charnitch Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Soyez content
Motto Translation: Be happy


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  5. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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