Garmen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Garmen has a history dating as far back as the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It was a name for a person of German descent, or a person who was associated with that country through trade or other means. Another derivation of the name suggests that it derives from the Old French given name Germain. This name was borne by a popular French saint from the 5th century, and also meant of the same stock, or related to.

Germanus (378?-448), was "Bishop of Auxerre, and missionary to Britain, son of noble parents whose names are given as Rusticus and Germanilla, was born at Auxerre about 378, and after attending schools in Gaul went to study at Rome. " 1

Garmen is a classic example of an polygenetic surname, which is a surname that was developed in a number of different locations and adopted by various families independently.

Early Origins of the Garmen family

The surname Garmen was first found in Essex where Jerman filius Willelmi was listed in the Feet of Fines for 1248. 2 However, Germanus was earlier listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. 3

Early History of the Garmen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Garmen research. Another 141 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1086, 1248, 1250, 1279, 1318, 1377, 1397, 1402, 1650, 1680, 1718, 1738 and 1769 are included under the topic Early Garmen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Garmen Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Garmen were recorded, including German, Germans, Jermain, Jarman and others.

Early Notables of the Garmen family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Robert German (died 1402), English politician, Member (MP) of the Parliament of England for Nottingham from 1377 to 1397. Sir John Germain, 1st Baronet (1650-1718), was a British soldier and politician, thought to have been an illegitimate half-brother of William III of England. "His mother, who was very handsome, is stated to have been that prince's mistress, and Germain is said to have assumed 'as his seal and armorial bearing' a red cross, implying pretensions to exalted...
Another 84 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Garmen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Garmen family to Ireland

Some of the Garmen 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.

Garmen migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Garmen arrived in North America very early:

Garmen Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Michael Garmen, aged 16, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1776 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Garmen (post 1700) +

Garmen N. Speredon, American politician, Socialist Labor Candidate for Michigan State Attorney General, 1928; Socialist Labor Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives from Genesee County 1st District, 1934 5

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html