Dinsmore History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
In Scottish history, few names go farther back than Dinsmore, whose ancestors lived among the clans of the Pictish tribe. They lived on the lands of Dundemore in Fife where the family has a long and distinguished history dating back to the early Middle Ages. The name literally means "the fortified hill," and many old strongholds in Scotland are so called. 1
Early Origins of the Dinsmore family
The surname Dinsmore was first found in Fife, in the territories of Dundemore, near Lindores. One of the first records of the name was Henry de Dundemore who witnessed a confirmation charter by John, Earl of Huntigdoun of land in Kynalchmund to the Abbey of Arboirath c. 1219 and later witnessed another charter by the same earl granting lands of Lundors to the monks of Lindores (c.1232-1237.) 2
In 1296, the Ragman Rolls listed Patrik de Dundemor and William de Dundemor as landholders in Fife.
Further to the south in England, Dinmore is an extra-parochial liberty, in the hundred of Grimsworth in Herefordshire. Here, "on Dinmore Hill was a commandery of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, founded by a brother of the order, in the reign of Henry II." 3
Hope under Dinmore is found in Herefordshire and Worcestershire. Originally recorded as Hope in the Domesday Book of 1086 4, it became in Latin, Hope sub Dinnemor in 1291. "Dinmore may be a Welsh name 'din mauer,' meaning 'great fort,' or alternatively 'marsh of a man called Dynna,' from the Old English personal name + "mor." 5
Dinmore Manor House is a large rural house that dates back to 1189 when it was thought to have been built by Knights Templar.
Early History of the Dinsmore family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dinsmore research. Another 248 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1305, 1317, 1330, 1406, 1585, 1643, 1650, 1661, 1662, 1670, 1686, 1688, 1723 and 1750 are included under the topic Early Dinsmore History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Dinsmore Spelling Variations
The arts of spelling and translation were yet in their infancies when surnames began, so there are an enormous number of spelling variations of the names in early Scottish records. This is a particular problem with Scottish names because of the numerous times a name might have been loosely translated to English from Gaelic and back. Dinsmore has been spelled Dinsmore, Dinsmuir, Dunsmore, Dansmore, Dunmuir and many more.
Early Notables of the Dinsmore family
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dinsmore Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Dinsmore Ranking
In the United States, the name Dinsmore is the 6,325th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 6
Migration of the Dinsmore family to Ireland
Some of the Dinsmore family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Dinsmore migration to the United States +
This oppression forced many Scots to leave their homelands. Most of these chose North America as their destination. Although the journey left many sick and poor, these immigrants were welcomed the hardy with great opportunity. Many of these settlers stood up for their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. More recently, Scots abroad have recovered much of their collective heritage through highland games and other patriotic functions and groups. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has located various settlers bearing the name Dinsmore:
Dinsmore Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- David Dinsmore, who landed in New England in 1745 7
- James Dinsmore, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1798
Dinsmore Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Robert Dinsmore, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1808 7
- Alexander Dinsmore, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 7
- Henry Dinsmore, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1822 7
- J Dinsmore, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1822 7
- John Dinsmore, who landed in New York in 1842 7
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Dinsmore migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Dinsmore Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
- James Dinsmore, aged 40, a farmer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the schooner "Sarah" from Belfast, Ireland
- Jane Dinsmore, aged 40, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the schooner "Sarah" from Belfast, Ireland
- Nancy Dinsmore, aged 12, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the schooner "Sarah" from Belfast, Ireland
- James Dinsmore, aged 12, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the schooner "Sarah" from Belfast, Ireland
- Elizabeth Dinsmore, aged 10, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the schooner "Sarah" from Belfast, Ireland
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Contemporary Notables of the name Dinsmore (post 1700) +
- Julia Stockton Dinsmore (1833-1926), American poet
- Nicholas "Nick" Dinsmore (b. 1975), American professional wrestler, known by his WWE ring name Eugene
- Hugh Anderson Dinsmore (1850-1930), American politician, U.S. Representative from Arkansas (1903-1905)
- Duke Dinsmore (1913-1985), American racecar driver
- Hugh Anderson Dinsmore (1850-1930), American Democratic Party politician, Presidential Elector for Arkansas, 1884; U.S. Minister to Korea, 1887-90; U.S. Representative from Arkansas, 1893-1905 8
- Herman Dinsmore, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 20th District, 1976 8
- Douglas Dinsmore, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Wyoming, 1960 8
- Daniel S. Dinsmore (d. 1883), American politician, Member of New Hampshire State Senate 5th District, 1883 8
- Arthur W. Dinsmore, American politician, Member of New Hampshire State Senate 18th District, 1905-06 8
- Andrew A. Dinsmore, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for Presidential Elector for New York, 1920 8
- ... (Another 18 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
The Dinsmore 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: Spes anchora tuta
Motto Translation: Hope is a safe anchor.
Citations +
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- 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)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html