Show ContentsEmney History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The earliest origins of the name Emney date back to the time of the Anglo-Saxons. The name is derived from the baptismal name for the son of Emma. "Emma (d. 1052), called Ælfgifu, queen, the daughter of Richard the Fearless, Duke of the Normans, by Gunnor, and legitimated by the duke's subsequent marriage with her mother. She was married to King Ethelred or Æthelred the Unready in 1002. This marriage prepared the way for the future conquest of England by the Normans, and was held to give the Conqueror some right to the crown. " 1

Early Origins of the Emney family

The surname Emney was first found in Berkshire, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Emney family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Emney research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Emney History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Emney Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Emney include Eman, Emmon, Emmond, Emmons, Emmonts, Emon, Emond, Emonds, Emonts and many more.

Early Notables of the Emney family

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

Migration of the Emney family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Emney or a variant listed above: Sarah Eman who settled in Edgar Town Massachusetts in 1820; Anne Emonds settled in Virginia in 1638; David Emon settled in New England in 1775; William Emonts settled in Philadelphia in 1875.



  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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