The generations and branches of the Arnison family share a name that has its roots in the ancient
Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. The name Arnison comes from the
personal name Agnes, which itself is derived from the Greek name
Hagne, which means
pure and
holy. The name was also used in the Latin phrase
Agnus Dei, which means
lamb of God. The personal name Agnes was popularized by devotees, the early Christian martyr, Saint Agnes.
Early Origins of the Arnison family
The surname Arnison was first found in the English midlands county of
Nottinghamshire from very ancient times, where the family name held vast estates and were an important contribution to the early life and times of the county. They are recorded in the
Domesday Book as holding lands and manors. The
Domesday Book was compiled by Duke William in the year 1086 A.D.
Early History of the Arnison family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Arnison research.
Another 193 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1402 and 1384 are included under the topic Early Arnison History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Arnison Spelling Variations
Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently,
Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of
spelling variations. Changes in
Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Arnison include Anniss, Anness, Arness, Annison, Arnison, Annes and many more.
Early Notables of the Arnison family (pre 1700)
Another 24 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Arnison Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Arnison family to Ireland
Some of the Arnison family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 79 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Arnison family to the New World and Oceana
Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Arnison or a variant listed above: William Annis, who settled in Virginia in 1639; Thomas Anniss, aged 23, who settled there in 1683; as well as William Arness, who arrived at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1685..