Vanes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales
Ireland

The surname Vanes is derived from the Middle English words "fein," "fayn," or " fane," which all mean "glad." The name was a nickname for a happy or good-natured person. The name could also have been a local name derived from the expression "at the van" or in other words near the "threshing-floor" derived from the word "van" which was a threshing instrument.

Early Origins of the Vanes family

The surname Vanes was first found in Monmouthshire (Welsh: Sir Fynwy), where the ancestors of the earls of Westmorland, "wrote their name Vane, and descended from Howel ap Vane, living there before the time of William the Conqueror" 1 living about the year 1060.

Another reference states: "The Fanes or Vanes are said to have originated from Wales; in the reign of Henry VI, they were seated at Hilden in Tunbridge, in Kent, by marriage with the Peshalls." 2

Early History of the Vanes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Vanes research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1580, 1589, 1602, 1613, 1616, 1625, 1626, 1629, 1639, 1645, 1653, 1655, 1662, 1663, 1666, 1680, 1681, 1682, 1689, 1693, 1708, 1710, 1715, 1721, 1723, 1727 and 1734 are included under the topic Early Vanes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Vanes Spelling Variations

The Welsh have an extremely large amount of spelling variations of their native surnames to their credit. It was up to the priest or the scribe taking the official records to determine how the spoken name was to be made literal. As time progressed, the old Brythonic names of Wales were recorded in English, which was especially problematic since the English language had extreme difficulty recording the highly inflected sounds of Cymraeg. Spelling variations were, however, also carried out according to an individual's design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by spelling variations of one's name. The spelling variations of the name Vanes have included Fane, Ap Fane, Fain, Vane, Vain, Veynes, Vanes and others.

Early Notables of the Vanes family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Francis Fane (1580-1629), 1st Earl of Westmorland (second creation); Mildmay Fane, 2nd Earl of Westmorland (1602-1666), an English nobleman, politician, and writer; Lady Mary Fane (1639-1681) was the daughter of Mildmay Fane, 2nd Earl of Westmorland; Sir Henry Vane the Elder (1589-1655), English courtier, father of Henry Vane the Younger; Sir Henry Vane the Younger (1613-1662), statesman, Puritan, son of Henry Vane the Elder; and his son, Christopher Vane, 1st Baron Barnard (1653-1723), an English peer; George Fane (c. 1616-1663) was an English politician who fought for the...
Another 98 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Vanes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Vanes Ranking

In Netherlands, the name Vanes is the 513^rd most popular surname with an estimated 3,421 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Vanes family to Ireland

Some of the Vanes family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Vanes migration to the United States +

During the latter half of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, the people of Wales journeyed to North America to find a new life. They made major contributions to the arts, industry and commerce of both Canada and the United States, and added a rich cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Vanes:

Vanes Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Comelis Hendricksen VanEs, who arrived in New York in 1642 4

Vanes Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Willem Geo VanEs, aged 36, who arrived in New York, NY in 1848 4
Tomas Vanes, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1879 4
Lennis VanEs, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1899 4

Vanes migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Vanes Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

William Vanes, English convict from Worcester, who was transported aboard the "Andromeda" on November 13, 1832, settling in New South Wales, Australia 5
Mr. Benjamin Vanes who was convicted in Worcester, Worcestershire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Clara" on 19th March 1857, arriving in Western Australia, Australia 6

The Vanes 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: Ne vile fano
Motto Translation: Bring nothing base to the template.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
"Most Common Last Names in Netherlands." Forebears, https://forebears.io/netherlands/surnames
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)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 27) Andromeda voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1832 with 186 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/andromeda/1832
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 11th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/clara