Show ContentsWarrner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Warrner family name is linked to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name 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 Warrner family

The surname Warrner 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 Warrner family

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

Warrner Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Warrner include Warner, Warnar, Warnere and others.

Early Notables of the Warrner 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 Warrner Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Warrner family to Ireland

Some of the Warrner 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 Warrner family

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Warrner were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: 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 Warrner 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.


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print


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