Seymour History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  France 
  Ireland 


The name Seymour was brought to England by the Normans when they conquered the country in 1066. The ancestors of the Seymour family lived in Monmouthshire. Their name, however, is a reference to St. Maur, near Avranches, Normandy. 1

"The baronial family of St. Maur, founded by the warrior of Hastings, became extinct in the chief male line at the decease in 1499 of Richard, 6th Lord St. Maur, whose only daughter and heiress, Alice, wedded William, 6th Lord Zouche of Haryngworth. The Seymours, Dukes of Somerset, whose historic greatness needs little of ancestral aid to augment its glory, claim to be a scion of the baronial house, and their pretensions may be sustained by the valuable authority of Camden." 2

Early Origins of the Seymour family

The surname Seymour was first found in Monmouthshire. However, records differ on who was the progenitor of the family. One reference claims that Wido de St. Maur came to England in 1066 but was deceased before 1086 and would have therefore not appeared in the Domesday Book. His son William Fits-Wido held a barony in Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucester and ten manors in Somerset. 3

"A Gilbertine priory, in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was founded [in Poulton, Gloucestershire] about 1347, by Sir Thomas de Sancto Mauro, or Seymor." 4

Another reference claims they were descended from Roger Sancto Maure who lived during the reign of Henry I and was Lord of Seymour Castle. 5

Early History of the Seymour family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Seymour research. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1299, 1458, 1474, 1509, 1528, 1536, 1537, 1547, 1549, 1563, 1593, 1599, 1613, 1632, 1646, 1648, 1663, 1674, 1708 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Seymour History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Seymour Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Seymour are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Seymour include St. Maur, Seymour, Seymer, Seymar, Seamor, Seamour, Seemour and many more.

Early Notables of the Seymour family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Seymour World Ranking

In the United States, the name Seymour is the 1,152nd most popular surname with an estimated 27,357 people with that name. 6 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Seymour is ranked the 429th most popular surname with an estimated 109 people with that name. 7 And in Australia, the name Seymour is the 618th popular surname with an estimated 6,322 people with that name. 8 New Zealand ranks Seymour as 664th with 1,063 people. 9 The United Kingdom ranks Seymour as 656th with 9,987 people. 10

Migration of the Seymour family to Ireland

Some of the Seymour family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 64 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Seymour migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Seymour, or a variant listed above:

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

Seymour migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Seymour Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Seymour migration to Australia +

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

Seymour Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Seymour 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:

Seymour Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Seymour 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. 20
Seymour Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Seymour (post 1700) +


The Seymour 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: Foy pour devoir
Motto Translation: Faith for duty.


Suggested Readings for the name Seymour +
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