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![Show Contents]() Hennis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Cornwall in southwestern England provides the original birthplace of the surname Hennis. As populations grew, people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used local surnames. This was due to the heavy political and cultural influence of the English upon the Cornish People at the time that surnames first came into use. Local surnames were derived from where a person lived, held land, or was born. While many Cornish surnames of this sort appear to be topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees, many are actually habitation surnames derived from lost or unrecorded place names. The name Hennis history began in Cornwall, at the village of Ennis. The place-name is Gaelic in origin, and derives from an Anglicization of the personal name Angus. Early Origins of the Hennis familyThe surname Hennis was first found in Cornwall where "the manors of Pettigrew and Nampitty, [in the parish of Gerrans] were the property of Francis Enys, Esq. in whose family they have been for a considerable time." 1 "It is generally understood that Enys, [in the parish of St. Gluvias] which is now the seat of Francis Enys, Esq. has been in this family ever since the days of Edward I. ; for so high this family can be traced. In the Cornish play, brought into Oxford in 1450, and of which the manuscript is still preserved in the Bodleian Library, Enys and some other lands are given as a reward to the builder of the universe. Its situation is about two miles from Penryn, on the right hand side of the road leading to Truro. In the Magna Britannia for 1720, notice is taken of its celebrated gardens. They still preserve their beauty, and the grounds are enlivened with the diversified prospects which they command." 1 Early History of the Hennis familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hennis research. Another 186 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1312, 1611, 1620, 1651, 1660, 1697 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Hennis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Hennis Spelling VariationsCornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Ennis, Ennys, Enys, Eynes and others. Early Notables of the Hennis familyMore information is included under the topic Early Hennis Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Hennis RankingIn the United States, the name Hennis is the 15,804th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2  Migration of the Hennis family to Ireland
Some of the Hennis family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Hennis migration to the United States | + |
A search of the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Hennis:
Hennis Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Miles Hennis, who landed in Maryland or Virginia in 1685 3
Hennis Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Charles Hennis, aged 50, who immigrated to America, in 1894
Hennis Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Miss Beatrice Hennis, (b. 1882), aged 22, Cornish domestic servant from Newquay, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Celtic" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 24th October 1904 en route to New York, USA 4
- Mr. A. Hennis, aged 40, who settled in America, in 1905
- Gerda Hennis, aged 19, who immigrated to the United States, in 1910
- David Hennis, aged 53, who landed in America, in 1921
- Catherine Hennis, aged 41, who landed in America, in 1921
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Contemporary Notables of the name Hennis (post 1700) | + |
- Randall Philip "Randy" Hennis (b. 1965), American former Major League Baseball pitcher who played in three games for the Houston Astros in 1990
- Gail M. Hennis, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Clinton, Indiana, 1927-33 5
- Wilhelm Hennis (b. 1923), German political scientist, Professor at the Pedagogical College of Hannover (1960), Professor in Hamburg (1962)
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: Virtute et valore
Motto Translation: By virtue and valour.
- Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- 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)
- Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Hennis migration to the United States 
England
Germany
Ireland
