Dignum History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Dignum comes from when the family resided in Dinham, a hamlet in the county Monmouthshire. 1

Early Origins of the Dignum family

The surname Dignum was first found in Monmouthshire. However, another source points to Devon and Cornwall as the origin of the family. In this case, Barons Dinham, and De Dinant, claim descent from the Viscounts Dinant of Bretagne, France. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 has two listings in Devon: Oliver de Dynham; and Robert de Dyncham as both holding lands there at that time. 1

The manor of Bodarle or Bodardle, in the parish of Lanlivery, Cornwall belonged in the reign of Richard I. In 1259, it was conveyed by Isolda de Cardinham to Oliver de Dinan, in whose posterity it continued for several generations. 3

Early History of the Dignum family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dignum research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1295, 1320, 1433, 1460, 1486, 1501, 1765 and 1784 are included under the topic Early Dignum History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dignum Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Dignum include Dynham, Dinan, Dinham, Dinat, Dyneham and others.

Early Notables of the Dignum family

Distinguished members of the family include

Charles Dignum, son of a master tailor, was born at Rotherhithe in 1765. His father, being a Roman Catholic, placed him when a boy in the choir of the Sardinian ambassador's chapel in Duke Street, Lin...

Dignum migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Dignum Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Francis Dignum, who landed in America in 1885 4

Dignum migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Dignum Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss. Mary Margeret Dignum, (b. 1754), aged 47, Irish convict who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas