Show ContentsMarkison History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Markison is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest brought to England in 1066. The Markison family lived in Sussex. Their name, however, is thought to be derived from a location in Normandy called Argenson, which would have been used as a name in its local form, D'Argenson, meaning from Argenson. The location, however, like many small settlements of the time, has been lost to the map in contemporary times. It is likely that the M now appears as the first letter of the name in most cases due to confusion with the similar metronymic name meaning son of Margaret. 1

Early Origins of the Markison family

The surname Markison was first found in West Sussex where the family held estates in Offington. One source claims "John D'Argenson, living in 1449, had two sons, one of whom fought at the battle of Pavia, in 1524, and the other, Peter D'Argenson, was founder of the English branch. The Margetsons of Yorkshire sprang from that personage, which may well admit of question, for certainly D'Argenson and Margetson are not much alike." 2

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Robert Marjorison; Richard Marjorison; and Roger Margeryson. 1

Early History of the Markison family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Markison research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1633, 1635, 1637, 1663 and 1678 are included under the topic Early Markison History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Markison Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Markison are characterized by many spelling variations. 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. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Markison include Margesson, Margeson, Margerison, Margetson and many more.

Early Notables of the Markison family

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

Ireland Migration of the Markison family to Ireland

Some of the Markison family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Markison migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Markison, or a variant listed above:

Markison Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Hugh Markison, aged 36, who landed in New York in 1812 3


The Markison Motto +

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: Loyalité me lie
Motto Translation: Loyality binds me.


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. 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)


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