Vincent History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  France 
  Ireland 


Vincent is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Vincent family lived in Leicestershire. Their name, however, is a reference to St. Vincent-de-Cramenil, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. 1

Early Origins of the Vincent family

The surname Vincent was first found in Leicestershire where they held a family seat from early times at Swinford. They were originally from St. Vincent-de-Cramenil in Le Havre in Normandy. Today, Swinford is a village and civil parish in the Harborough district

"The family of Vincent descend from Miles Vincent, owner of the lands at Swinford in the county of Leicester, in the tenth of Edward II." 2

Exploration of the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 discovered: Roger Vincent in Berkshire; and Richard filius Vincent in Huntingdonshire. 3 Kirby's Quest listed Vincent atte More in Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 4 Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Johannes Vynsand. 3

Early History of the Vincent family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Vincent research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1584, 1591, 1617, 1618, 1626, 1634, 1638, 1639, 1646, 1662, 1678, 1697 and 1761 are included under the topic Early Vincent History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Vincent 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 Vincent 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 Vincent include Vincent, Vinsant, Vinsen, Vincer and others.

Early Notables of the Vincent family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Vincent World Ranking

In the United States, the name Vincent is the 579th most popular surname with an estimated 49,740 people with that name. 6 However, in Canada, the name Vincent is ranked the 273rd most popular surname with an estimated 15,430 people with that name. 7 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Vincent is the 226th popular surname. 8 Newfoundland, Canada ranks Vincent as 187th with 219 people. 9 France ranks Vincent as 19th with 57,351 people. 10 Australia ranks Vincent as 362nd with 10,019 people. 11 New Zealand ranks Vincent as 279th with 2,191 people. 12 The United Kingdom ranks Vincent as 450th with 14,435 people. 13

Migration of the Vincent family to Ireland

Some of the Vincent family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Vincent 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 Vincent, or a variant listed above:

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

Vincent migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Vincent Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
Vincent Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Vincent Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Vincent migration to Australia +

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

Vincent Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Vincent 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:

Vincent Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Vincent 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. 24
Vincent Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Vincent (post 1700) +


The Vincent 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: Vincenti dabitur
Motto Translation: It shall be given to the conqueror.


Suggested Readings for the name Vincent +
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