Show ContentsDammpier History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066 brought the Dammpier family name to the British Isles. They lived in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. The family was originally from Dampiere and Orne, Normandy. 1 2

The House of Dampierre held a prestigious place in the history of the Middle Ages. Named after Dampierre, in the Champagne region, members of the family were the Count of Flanders, Count of Nevers, Counts and Dukes of Rethel, Count of Artois and Count of Franche-Comté. The progenitor of the family is thought to have been Guy I of Dampierre (died 1151), son of Thibaut of Dampierre-sur-l’Aube and Elizabeth of Montlhéry.William I of Dampierre (died after 1173), Seigneur of Dampierre, Saint-Dizier, and Moëlain.

Early Origins of the Dammpier family

The surname Dammpier was first found in Lincolnshire where Richard de Damper was first listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. 2

However another source claims to have earlier entries for the family in Yorkshire: William de Damper 1225; and William Damper 1229. 3

Early History of the Dammpier family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dammpier research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1229, 1273, 1651, 1652, 1668, 1672, 1715 and 1802 are included under the topic Early Dammpier History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dammpier 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 Dampier, Damper, Demper, Dempier, Dammper, Dammpier, Dampere, Dampar, Dampir, Dampare, Dampire, Dammpare and many more.

Early Notables of the Dammpier family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was William Dampier (1651-1715), an English buccaneer, sea captain, author and scientific observer, the first Englishman to explore sections of New Holland (Australia) and also the first person to circumnavigate the world three times, eponym of Dampier, Australia. He was the "son of a tenant-farmer at East Coker, near Yeovil, was baptised on 8 June 1652. His father died ten years afterwards; and his mother, who had kept on the farm...
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dammpier Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dammpier family

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 Dammpier or a variant listed above: Alex Dampier settled in Virginia in the year 1653.



The Dammpier 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: Dominus petra mea
Motto Translation: The Lord is my rock.


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


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