Miner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Today's generation of the Miner family bears a name that was brought to England by the migration wave that was started by the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Miner family lived in Herefordshire. Occupational names frequently were derived from the principal object associated with the activity of the original bearer, such as tools or products. In this case, this surname likely also was derived from the trade name for a miner. 1
Early Origins of the Miner family
The surname Miner was first found in Herefordshire. "This gallant Norman family appears to have been rewarded by grants of land in Herefordshire. Certain it is that the estate of Treago in that county has been held by the family of Mynors from the era of the Conquest even to the present day, [c.1880] being now possessed by Peter Rickards Mynors Esq., who also represents the great and historic house of Baskerville of Erdesley, and derives in direct descent from the royal line of Plantagenet. " 2
We did find this interesting entry about this family: "A Herefordshire family of this name claims to have been seated at Treago, in that county, from the time of the Conquest: but their pedigree only begins in the fourteenth century with John de Miners, Constable of the Castle of St. Briavel under Edward II. The name, however, is found much earlier, as Gislebert and Henry de Mineriis occur in Palgrave's Rotuli Curia Regis of 1198. They held of the Honour of Breteuil in Normandy." 3
Early History of the Miner family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Miner research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1500, 1501, 1608, 1609, 1629, 1654, 1660, 1677, 1690 and 1720 are included under the topic Early Miner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Miner Spelling Variations
Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Miner include Mynors, Minors, Miners, Mynor, Myner, Miner and others.
Early Notables of the Miner family
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was
Miner Ranking
In the United States, the name Miner is the 1,395th most popular surname with an estimated 22,383 people with that name. 4
Miner migration to the United States +
In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Miners to arrive on North American shores:
Miner Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Thomas Miner, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 5
Miner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Jacob Miner, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1756 5
- Nathan William Miner, who landed in America in 1783 5
Miner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- L B Miner, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 5
- William A Miner, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 5
- A Miner, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1856 5
Miner migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Miner Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Miss. Harriet Miner, British Convict who was convicted in Worcester, Worcestershire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 9th March 1847, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
Contemporary Notables of the name Miner (post 1700) +
- William V. Miner, American politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives 44th District, 1919-20
- William H. Miner, American politician, Presidential Elector for Wisconsin, 1876
- William E. Miner, American politician, Delegate to Kentucky secession convention, 1861
- Wilbert Miner, American Republican politician, Mayor of Moundsville, West Virginia, 1945-46, 1949-54 7
- Walter Nathan Miner (1873-1948), American Republican politician, Mayor of Calais, Maine, 1917-18; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Maine, 1924 (alternate), 1928 (member, Committee on Permanent Organization), 1932 7
- Stephanie Miner, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 2000; Presidential Elector for New York, 2012; Mayor of Syracuse, New York; Elected 2013 7
- Ruth M. Miner, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1940, 1944 (alternate), 1948; Member of New York Republican State Committee, 1950, 1963. Interment somewhere in Colonie, New York 7
- Selden S. Miner, American politician, Circuit Judge in Michigan 35th Circuit, 1906-17
- Ruth F. Miner, American politician, Delegate to New Hampshire State Constitutional Convention from Meredith, 1956
- Roger Jeffrey Miner (1934-2012), American politician, U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of New York, 1981; Judge of U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, 1985-97
- ... (Another 53 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Suggested Readings for the name Miner +
- Fortin and Miner (Monast), French Canadian Families of Vergennes, Vermont, with Notes on Plantier, Gely, and Roy Families by James Strode Elston.
- Thomas Minor, Descendants by John A. Miner.
- The Gardiner-Squires Connection: an Account of the Gardiner Family of Gardiner's Island, Long Island, New York by Tiger Gardiner.
Citations +
- Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
- Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
- Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
- "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)
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th February 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1847
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, November 24) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html