Show ContentsDannay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Dannay reached England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Dannay family lived in Wiltshire. The family was originally from Anizy, in Calvados, Normandy, and it is from this location that their surname derives. The name would have stood as D'Anizy, which means from Anizy. 1

Early Origins of the Dannay family

The surname Dannay was first found in Wiltshire where Richard de Dauntesye was one of the first records of the name as listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. The same rolls listed Peter de Dauntesy in Berkshire. 2

West Lavington in Wiltshire "was for many generations the property of the Dauntsey family, of whom William Dauntsey, a younger son, was alderman of London in 1542." 3 He would later found and endow an almshouse, and a grammar school there. The church contains the sepulchral chapel of the Dauntsey family. Through marriage the property passed to the Danvers family.

Early History of the Dannay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dannay research. Another 156 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1242, 1348, 1349, 1542, 1632, 1660 and 1663 are included under the topic Early Dannay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dannay Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Dannay family name include Dancey, Dauncy, Dauncey, Dauntsey, Dance, Dancie, Dauncie, Dauntsie and many more.

Early Notables of the Dannay family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Richard Dansy, High Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1348 and 1349. Roger Dansey was High Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1632. William Dauntesey (or Dauntsey) was a London merchant and Master of the Worshipful Company of Mercers. He died...
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dannay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Dannay family to Ireland

Some of the Dannay family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dannay family

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Dannay family to immigrate North America: John Dancy who settled in Virginia in 1621; and later Henry Dancey who settled in the same colony in 1697; Gilbert Dance settled in New Orleans in 1822..



  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. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.


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