Warner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland

The origins of the name Warner are from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from Warnier, a Germanic personal name. It is composed of two elements: warin, which means guard; and hari, which means soldier. Alternatively, the name could have been "an ancient baptismal name, written in Domesday Warnerus and Warnerius." 1

Early Origins of the Warner family

The surname Warner was first found in Leicestershire where they were recorded in the Domesday Book compiled in 1086 as Warnerus and Warnerius. 1

Warner or Garnier (fl. 1106), was a writer of homilies and a monk of Westminster. "He is called 'homeliarius,' and dedicated a volume of homilies to his abbot, Gilbert Crispin. " 2

Warnerus de Lusoriis was listed in Oxfordshire in 1140 and a few years later, Warnerus de Campania was listed c. 1160 in London. Robert Warnier was listed the in the Pipe Rolls of Dorset in 1196. 3

Years later, Richard le Warner was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. 4

Early History of the Warner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Warner research. Another 112 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1511, 1519, 1558, 1565, 1580, 1581, 1609, 1624, 1628, 1637, 1638, 1642, 1649, 1659, 1666, 1667, 1670, 1676, 1677, 1681, 1692 and 1813 are included under the topic Early Warner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Warner Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Warner family name include Warner, Warnar, Warnere and others.

Early Notables of the Warner family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Sir Edward Warner (1511-1565), Lieutenant of the Tower, the elder son of Henry Warner (d. 1519) of Besthorpe, Norfolk
William Warner (c. 1558-1609) English poet
Sir Thomas Warner (1580-1649), English explorer, famous for settling on Saint Kitts, the first English colony in 1624
John Warner (1581-1666), an English Royalist churchman, Bishop of Rochester (1637-1666)
Francis Warner (died 1667), an English merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1659
John Warner (1628-1692), an English Jesuit from Warwickshire, known as a controversialist and confessor to James II

Warner World Ranking

In the United States, the name Warner is the 344^th most popular surname with an estimated 77,097 people with that name. 5 However, in Canada, the name Warner is ranked the 831^st most popular surname with an estimated 6,459 people with that name. 6 And in Australia, the name Warner is the 431^st popular surname with an estimated 8,709 people with that name. 7 New Zealand ranks Warner as 654^th with 1,091 people. 8 The United Kingdom ranks Warner as 389^th with 16,576 people. 9

Migration of the Warner family to Ireland

Some of the Warner 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.

Warner migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Warner surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Warner Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Augustine Warner, who arrived in Virginia in 1628 10
Andrew Warner, Jr., Nantasket Massachusetts in 1631 aboard the ship "Lyon", bound for Cambridge 10
Andrew Warner, who settled in Nantasket Massachusetts in 1631 aboard the ship "Lyon", bound for Cambridge
William Warner, who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1631
Mrs. Warner, who arrived in Nantasket, Massachusetts in 1631 aboard the ship "Lyon", bound for Cambridge 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Warner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Barbara Warner, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 10
Hendrich Warner, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1729 10
Johann Adam Warner, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1733
Andreas Warner, who settled in Philadelphia in 1734
Henrick Warner, who landed in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania in 1741 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Warner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jeremiah Warner, aged 35, who arrived in New York in 1800 10
Edward Warner, who arrived in New York in 1834 10
Christian Warner, who landed in Maryland in 1838 10
Freid Ludwig Warner, who settled in Baltimore in 1840
George Warner, who landed in Somerset County, Pennsylvania in 1844 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Warner migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Warner Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Christopher Warner, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749-1752
Mr. Christian Warner U.E., (Christeyan, Wanner) who settled in Canada c. 1784 12
Sgt. Christian Warner U.E. who settled in Home District [York County], Ontario c. 1784 12
Mr. Christoper Warner U.E., (Christian) who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 he became a Freeman in 1785 was a Baker 12
Mr. Conradt Warner U.E. who settled in Eastern District [Cornwall], Ontario c. 1784 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Warner Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Cyrus Warner, who arrived in Canada in 1830
Henry Warner, who arrived in Canada in 1831

Warner migration to Australia +

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

Warner Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Warner, English convict who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for life, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 22nd September 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
Mr. Robert Warner, (b. 1784), aged 37, English hawker who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for 7 years for grand larceny, transported aboard the "Claudine" on 20th May 1821, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1826 14
Francis Warner, English convict from Nottingham, who was transported aboard the "Arab" on July 3, 1822, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 15
Mr. George Warner, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Commodore Hayes" in April 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 16
Mr. Thomas Warner, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Chapman" on 12th April 1826, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 17
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Warner migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Warner Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Richard Warner, who landed in Nelson, New Zealand in 1842
Richard Warner, aged 23, a blacksmith, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Olympus" in 1842
Eliza Warner, aged 23, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Olympus" in 1842
Richard Warner, aged 1, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Olympus" in 1842
Horatio Nelson Warner, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1843
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Warner migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 18

Warner Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Sir Thomas Warner, who settled in Barbados in 1679 with his wife Anne, three children, and his servants

Contemporary Notables of the name Warner (post 1700) +

Jack Leonard Warner (1892-1978), American president and driving force behind the highly successful development of Warner Brothers Studios in Hollywood
Aaron "Albert" Warner (1883-1967), Polish-born American film executive, one of the founders of Warner Bros. Studios
Federico Anthony "Fred" Warner (b. 1996), American football linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League
Larry Logan Warner (1945-2022), American lawyer and politician, born in Washington, D.C
John William Warner III (1927-2021), American attorney and politician, United States Senator from Virginia (1979-2009)
Daniel Lawrence "Dan" Warner (1971-2019), American Grammy Award- and Latin Grammy Award-winning guitarist, producer and songwriter
Jack Warner (b. 1940), American Major League Baseball pitcher
Harry Warner (1881-1958), American studio executive, one of the founders of Warner Bros. Studios
Corporal Henry F Warner (1923-1944), American Army soldier awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1944
William Lloyd Warner (1898-1970), American anthropologist
... (Another 216 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Warner family +

Halifax Explosion

Mr. John Edward Warner (1887-1917), Canadian resident from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 19

HMS Repulse

Mr. William Robert Warner (1921-1942), English Able Bodied Seaman from Colchester, Essex, England, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse and survived the sinking, also sailed aboard the HMS Sultan, died as a prisoner of war in 1942 20

HMS Royal Oak

Leonard John Warner (d. 1939), British Shipwright 4th Class with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 21

RMS Lusitania

Mr. Tertius Selwyn Warner, Canadian 2nd Class passenger from London, Ontario, Canada, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 22

The Warner 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: Non nobis tantum nati
Motto Translation: We are not born for ourselves alone.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/claudine
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Arab voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1822 with 155 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/arab/1822
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th March 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/commodore-hayes
Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 28th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/chapman
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/