Acre History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France

The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 added many new elements to an already vibrant culture. Among these were thousands of new names. The Acre family lived in the county of Cumberland. This surname was a local name meaning the dweller at the acre, or the dweller at the plot of arable land.

Early Origins of the Acre family

The surname Acre was first found in the county of Cumberland, where they were descended from one of two noble houses, the Lords D'Acre, called D'Acres of the North, and Lord D'Acre of Herstmonceux, called D'Acres of the South. Both of these noble branches originally settled at Dacre in Cumberland.

Early History of the Acre family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Acre research. Another 118 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1282, 1346, 1379, 1614, 1619, 1660, 1661, 1692 and 1700 are included under the topic Early Acre History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Acre Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Acre, Acres, Aker, Eaker, Eakers, Aiker, Aikers, Aikerson, Aker, Akers, Acker, Ackers, Ackhurst and many more.

Early Notables of the Acre family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Anthony Aucher, 1st Baronet (1614-1692), an English politician from Bishopsbourne, Kent, Member of Parliament for Canterbury (1660-1661), a supporter...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Acre Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Acre migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Acre or a variant listed above:

Acre Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Casper Acre, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1687-1727
Sarah Acre, who settled in America in 1738
Veronica Acre, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1741
Christian Acre, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1741
Peter Acre, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1741
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Acre Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Juan De Acre, who arrived in New Granada in 1855 1

Acre migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Acre Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Lambert Acre U.E., United Empire Loyalist who settled in Canada c. 1783 2
Lambert Acre, who settled in Canada in 1797

Acre Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

William Acre, who arrived in Ontario in 1871

Citations +

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)
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