Delafeld History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The first people to use the distinguished Delafeld family name were found in France, and was a Huguenot surname. It was brought to England, in the 15th and 16th centuries when the Huguenots fled France because of the religious persecution that threatened their survival there. Under the Protestant King Henri IV, in the late 15th century, the Edict of Nantes was signed, which ended the Wars of Religion, and promised greater tolerance to the non-Catholic sects in France. Unfortuantely, this Edict was overturned in the 17th century, at which time, many Huguenot families came to England. The Delafeld family settled in County Monaghan, Ireland. Their name, however, comes from the Old French phrase, de la field, meaning of the field, and indicates that the family once lived at or near an open field of land.

Early Origins of the Delafeld family

The surname Delafeld was first found in County Monaghan, in Ireland, their first settlement in England and Ireland, settling there about 1620, about 70 years before the main exodus of the Huguenots from France. The De la Fields, were the ancient Counts of Alsace, famous in the 11th and 12th centuries. They were also the Counts of Westphalia and Barons of Pomerania. They entertained Pope Leo IX at the consecration of Strasburg Cathedral, and were Counts of the Holy Roman Empire.

Early History of the Delafeld family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Delafeld research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the year 1857 is included under the topic Early Delafeld History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Delafeld Spelling Variations

Huguenot surnames were only slightly Anglicized, and they remain to this day a distinct group of surnames in England. Nevertheless, Huguenot surnames have been subject to numerous spelling alterations since the names emerged in France. French surnames have a variety of spelling variations because the French language has changed drastically over the centuries. French was developed from the vernacular Latin of the Roman Empire. It is divided into three historic and linguistic periods: Old French, which developed before the 14th century; Middle French, which was used between the 14th and 16th centuries; and Modern French, which was used after the 16th century and continues to be in use today. In all of these periods, the French language was heavily influenced by other languages. For example, Old French was infused with Germanic words and sounds when the barbarian tribes invaded and settled in France after the fall of the Roman Empire. Middle French also borrowed heaviliy from the Italian language during the Renaissance. Huguenot names have numerous variations. The name may be spelled Delafield, Dellafield, Delafields, DeLaFields, DeLaField and many more.

Early Notables of the Delafeld family

More information is included under the topic Early Delafeld Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Delafeld family to Ireland

Some of the Delafeld 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 Delafeld family

Discovered in the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Delafeld: E. A. Delafield, who landed in New York, N.Y. in 1820; John Delafield also landed in New York in 1820.