Seanor History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Seanor family was an integral part of Britain's Norman legacy, a legacy that began in 1066 with the Conquest of the island. Seanor was a name given to a person with lordly bearing, or the older of two people with the same name. The first is by analogy with the French seigneur, meaning lord.

Early Origins of the Seanor family

The surname Seanor was first found in Norfolk, where the family was granted lands by William the Conqueror for having assisted at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The earliest known bearer of the name was Walter Seignure, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1164.

Early History of the Seanor family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Seanor research. Another 176 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1150, 1164, 1212, 1271, 1382, 1475, 1565, 1845 and 1887 are included under the topic Early Seanor History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Seanor Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Senior, Sinyeard, Singard, Sinyard, Sinor, Sayner, Saynor, Sayner and many more.

Early Notables of the Seanor family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Seanor Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Seanor family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Seanor or a variant listed above were: Eliz Senior, who settled in Virginia in 1666; Jacob Senior, who arrived in Nevis in 1679; Joseph Senior, who arrived in Barbados in 1680 with his four servants, Jane Senior, who came to Virginia in 1728.

Contemporary Notables of the name Seanor (post 1700) +

First Lieutenant George Seanor Robb (1887-1972), officer in the United States Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the World War I

The Seanor 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: Medio tutissimus ibis
Motto Translation: Go most safely by the middle course