Kare History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Kare is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived at the carr, or low lying meadow. 1

"The frequency with which such entries as Robert or William del Carr, or atte Carr, or Karr, or Kerr recur in Lancashire and Yorkshire records of the 13th and 14th centuries is explained by the fact that Carr or Kerr meant a low-lying meadow. It is still so used in all the northern counties. " 1

Alternatively, the surname is topographic in origin and is derived from the Old Norse word kjarr which eventually became kerr. The Old English translation is brushwood or wet ground. This surname was given to a person who resided near these physical features.

Early Origins of the Kare family

The surname Kare was first found in Yorkshire where the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed "Thomas Carr, Agnes uxor ejus; Willelmus att Karr; and Johannes del Karr. In the Yorkshire Poll Tax (1379) almost every village has some one styled William or John del Kerr in it." 1

The Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III listed Lucas de la Care, Kent, 20 Edward I (during the 20th year of King Edward I's reign.)

Early History of the Kare family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kare research. Another 186 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1272, 1307, 1500, 1646, 1663, 1678, 1680, 1688 and 1706 are included under the topic Early Kare History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kare Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Kare are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Kare include: Care, Kare, Carre, Karre and others.

Early Notables of the Kare family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Henry Care (1646-1688), an English political writer and journalist. After the Popish Plot of 1678, he wrote against...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kare Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kare migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Kare or a variant listed above:

Kare Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Christian Kare, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1769 2

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)
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)