Davenport History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 


Davenport is a name that came to England in the 11th century wave of migration that was set off by the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Davenport family lived in the township of Davenport, in the parish of Astbury in East Cheshire.

Early Origins of the Davenport family

The surname Davenport was first found in Cheshire where they were descended from Ormus de Davenport of Davenport Hall Farm 1 in the parish of Astbury in East Cheshire. He is the first recorded ancestor of the family.

"The Davenports claim precedence among the knightly families of Cheshire, - that 'seed-plot of gentry,' 'the mother and the nurse of the gentility of England,' and are traced directly to the Conquest." 2

"The manor [of Marton, Cheshire] was given to an ancestor of the Davenport family, as a dowry with the daughter of Venables, Baron of Kinderton, in the reign of Henry I." 3

Early History of the Davenport family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Davenport research. Another 150 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1477, 1566, 1597, 1598, 1623, 1631, 1645, 1670 and 1680 are included under the topic Early Davenport History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Davenport Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Davenport has been recorded under many different variations, including Davenport, Davenporte, Donarty and others.

Early Notables of the Davenport family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Davenport Ranking

In the United States, the name Davenport is the 509th most popular surname with an estimated 57,201 people with that name. 5 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Davenport is ranked the 797th most popular surname with an estimated 8,503 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Davenport family to Ireland

Some of the Davenport family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Davenport migration to the United States +

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Davenports were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:

Davenport Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Davenport Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Davenport Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Davenport migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Davenport Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Davenport migration to Australia +

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

Davenport Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Davenport 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:

Davenport Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Davenport 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. 14
Davenport Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Davenport (post 1700) +


Suggested Readings for the name Davenport +
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