Show ContentsPackington History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Anglo-Saxon name Packington comes from when the family resided in the hamlet of Packington found in the county of Leicestershire. The surname Packington was originally derived from the Old English word Pakintone, which referred to those who lived at the wood of the people Pacca. The place-name Packington was probably first used after the family moved away from their original dwelling place to another area. In this circumstance, the family would adopt the place-name so that they could be known by the name of the original village.

Early Origins of the Packington family

The surname Packington was first found in North West Leicestershire at Packington, a village and civil parish that dates back to at least 1043 when it was listed as Pakinton. Forty-three years later in the Domesday Book of 1086, the village was listed as Pachintone. 1 The place name literally means "estate associated with a man called Pac(c)a" having derived from the Old English personal name + ing + tun. 2 Great Packington is a hamlet near Meriden, Warwickshire and is home to Packington Hall, a 17th-century mansion built in 1693 for Sir Clement Fisher. His earlier manor house Packington Old Hall is nearby. At the time of the Conquest, this was the property of Turchil de Warwick, by whom, it was given to Geoffrey de Clinton, founder of the castle and priory of Kenilworth. After the Dissolution, it passed by letters-patent to the Fisher family.

Early History of the Packington family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Packington research. Another 173 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1477, 1489, 1529, 1530, 1536, 1538, 1549, 1551, 1561, 1571, 1600, 1621, 1623, 1624, 1625, 1640, 1649, 1680, 1688 and 1846 are included under the topic Early Packington History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Packington Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Packington include Packington, Pakington, Packinton, Pakinton, Pakintone, Pakintone, Packingtone and many more.

Early Notables of the Packington family

Distinguished members of the family include Sir John Pakington (c.1477-1551), Chirographer of the Court of Common Pleas, a Member of Parliament for Gloucester, and Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1538 and Worcestershire. In 1529 he received an extraordinary grant from Henry VIII permitting him to wear his hat in the King's presence. Robert Pakington (c.1489-1536), was a London merchant and Member of Parliament who was murdered on his way to Mass at the Mercers' chapel; Sir Thomas Pakington (c.1530-1571)...
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Packington Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Packington migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Packington Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Eliz Packington, who landed in Virginia in 1657 3


The Packington 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: Par viribus virtus
Motto Translation: Virtue is equal to strength.


  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  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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