Oakes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The Oakes name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived near a notable oak tree or near a group of oaks. The surname Oakes is derived from the Old English word ac, which means oak. The surname Oakes belongs to the class of topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees.
Early Origins of the Oakes family
The surname Oakes was first found in Somerset where Oake is a village and civil parish that dates back to before the Norman Copnquest when it was listed as Acon in 897. The place was listed as Acha in the Domesday Book 1 and literally means "place at the oak trees" from the Old Englisk word "ac" 2
Early History of the Oakes family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Oakes research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1606, 1631, 1640, 1644, 1645, 1662, 1675, 1680, 1681 and 1719 are included under the topic Early Oakes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Oakes Spelling Variations
Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Oakes has undergone many spelling variations, including Oak, Oake, Oakes, Oke, Okes and others.
Early Notables of the Oakes family
Notables of the family at this time include
- Urian Oakes (1631-1681), an English-born, American minister and educator who emigrated to America in 1640, President of Harvard College (1675-1680) and (1680-1681)
Oakes Ranking
In the United States, the name Oakes is the 1,635th most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 3 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Oakes is ranked the 955th most popular surname with an estimated 7,305 people with that name. 4
Oakes migration to the United States +
To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Oakes were among those contributors:
Oakes Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Simon Oakes, who arrived in New England in 1632 5
- Greg Oakes, who landed in Virginia in 1637 5
- Edward Oakes, who landed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1640 5
- Urian Oakes, who arrived in New England in 1649 5
- John Oakes, who arrived in Maryland in 1672 5
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Oakes Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Rachel Oakes, who arrived in Virginia in 1702 5
- Thomas Oakes, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1774 5
Oakes Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Richard Oakes, who landed in America in 1801-1802 5
- Henry Oakes, who arrived in New York in 1826 5
- R M Oakes, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 5
- A Oakes, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 5
- James Oakes, aged 35, who landed in New York in 1854 5
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Oakes migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Oakes Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mr. Richard Oakes, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 22nd September 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
- Mr. Matthew Oakes, English convict who was convicted in Bristol, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 27th May 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
Oakes 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:
Oakes Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Mr. Henry Oakes, Cornish settler travelling from Launceston, UK aboard the ship "Brazil Packet" arriving in Hokianga, North Island, New Zealand in 1836 8
- Miss Mary Oakes, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Egmont" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 14th June 1858 8
Contemporary Notables of the name Oakes (post 1700) +
- Sir Harry Oakes (1874-1943), 1st Baronet, an American-born, Canadian gold mine owner, entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist who moved the Bahamas who was murdered in his mansion in 1943
- Ennis Telfair "Rebel" Oakes (1883-1948), American Major League Baseball player who played from 1909 to 1915
- Jill Pauline Oakes (b. 1984), American soccer defender, member of the United States National Team (2005-)
- James Lowell Oakes (1924-2007), American senior circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- John Bertram Oakes (1913-2001), influential U.S. journalist and Rhodes Scholar
- Charles A. Oakes, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Florida, 2004, 2008 9
- Charles Oakes (b. 1959), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Oregon, 2004 9
- Carroll Oakes, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Tennessee, 1956 9
- Calvin H. Oakes, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Genoa, 1932 9
- Calvin Oakes, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New Hampshire, 1944, 1948; Delegate to New Hampshire State Constitutional Convention from Claremont 1st Ward, 1948 9
- ... (Another 35 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Historic Events for the Oakes family +
- Mrs. Henrietta Oakes (1857-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who survived the Halifax Explosion (1917) but later died due to injuries 10
- Mr. Oakes, British Leading Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 11
The Oakes 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: Quercus robur salus patria
Motto Translation: The strength of the oak is the safety of our country.
Suggested Readings for the name Oakes +
- Oakes and Relatives by Fred Arthur Oakes.
- The Oakes Diaries by James Oakes.
Citations +
- 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/
- "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
- 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 10th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
- Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
- HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html