Dempier History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The history of the Dempier family name begins after the Norman Conquest of 1066. 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 Dempier family

The surname Dempier 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 Dempier family

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

Dempier Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Dampier, Damper, Demper, Dempier, Dammper, Dammpier, Dampere, Dampar, Dampir, Dampare, Dampire, Dammpare and many more.

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

Migration of the Dempier family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Dempier or a variant listed above were: Alex Dampier settled in Virginia in the year 1653.

The Dempier 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)