Pyen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the bearers of the Pyen family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in the county of Devon and Cornwall. Pyen is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. In this case the original bearers of the surname Pyen were known as the dwellers by the pine trees. 1

Alternatively the name could have been "a nickname for a tall, upright man." 2

"Combepyne and Upton Pyne (Devon) were held in the 13th century by a family of de Pyn who may have come from Le Pin (Calvados) or some other French place named from a prominent pine." 2

Another source confirms the Devon branch and also postulates that the name was originally Norman: "Durand, William de Pinu, [were found in] Normandy 1180-95 (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae). This family was long seated in Devon." 3

More digging about Upton Pyne found this entry: "Pynes, in Upton Pyne, the present seat of the Northcote family (who were at Northcote in East Downe as early as the year 1103), came to them by the marriage of Sir Henry Northcote, the fifth Baronet, with the heiress of Stafford." 4

Unfortunately for this source, Sir Henry Northcote, 5th Baronet (1710-1743) was a much later, so we must presume that the entry meant that the Pyne family were in "East Downe as early as the year 1103."

Early Origins of the Pyen family

The surname Pyen was first found in the 12th century where Bonde Pine was found in Northumberland, 1101-1107 and Robert Pine was listed in Shropshire in 1181. A few years later, Robert Pin was found in the Curia Regis Rolls for Northumberland in 1208 and William Pin was found in the Assize Rolls for Shropshire in 1221. Over in Sussex, Henry le Pyn was listed there in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1332.

In Leicestershire, Morin de Pin was found in the Pipe Rolls of 1130 and in Devon, Alexander de Pinu was listed there in the Pipe Rolls of 1169. Thomas de Pyne was found in Somerset, according to the Assize Rolls of Somerset and later, John atte Pyne was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Cheshire in 1327. 2

Early History of the Pyen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pyen research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1603, 1625, 1644, 1653, 1677, 1679, 1690, 1695, 1709, 1732 and 1756 are included under the topic Early Pyen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pyen Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Pyen include Pyne, Pine and others.

Early Notables of the Pyen family

Notables of the family at this time include Valentine Pyne (1603-1677), English master-gunner of England, the second son of George Pyne of Curry-Mallet, Somerset; John Pyne (died 1679), an English politician...
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pyen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Pyen family to Ireland

Some of the Pyen family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Pyen family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Pyen or a variant listed above: Thomas Pyne, who settled in Massachusetts in 1635; An Pine, who came to Virginia in 1665; Hannah Pyne, who settled in Virginia in 1665; Charles Pyne, who came to Maryland in 1679.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital