Warrnar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The generations and branches of the Warrnar family share a name that has its roots in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. The name Warrnar comes 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 Warrnar family

The surname Warrnar 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 Warrnar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Warrnar 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 Warrnar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Warrnar 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 Warrnar include Warner, Warnar, Warnere and others.

Early Notables of the Warrnar 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...
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Warrnar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Warrnar family to Ireland

Some of the Warrnar 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.

Migration of the Warrnar 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 Warrnar or a variant listed above: Andrew Warner settled in Nantasket Massachusetts in 1631; Cyprian Warner settled in Virginia in 1635; Henry Warner settled in Virginia in 1636; Joe Warner settled in New England in 1635.

The Warrnar 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