Dampire History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Dampire reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Dampire family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Dampire family 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 Dampire family

The surname Dampire 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 Dampire family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dampire 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 Dampire History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

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

Early Notables of the Dampire 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 Dampire Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dampire 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 Dampire name or one of its variants: Alex Dampier settled in Virginia in the year 1653.

The Dampire 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.

Citations +

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