Bemen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Bemen

What does the name Bemen mean?

Of all the Anglo-Saxon names to come from Britain, Bemen is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived near a mountain. This name was brought to England by the Normans, and is a corruption of the Norman French name Beaumont, which means beautiful mountain.1

"In former times, when mead or methlegn was a favourite beverage, the number of bees kept in England must have been much larger than now. Bee-parlts, or enclosures, exist in several parts of the country, though now appropriated to other uses. The keeper of such a park was called Custos Apium-"keeper of the bees"-whence Beeman. " 2

Early Origins of the Bemen family

The surname Bemen was first found in Suffolk, where R. Benum was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls in 1283. Later William le Bemon was found in Lancashire in 1324. 3

Early History of the Bemen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bemen research. Another 227 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1283, 1324, 1379, 1500, 1674 and 1793 are included under the topic Early Bemen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bemen Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Bemen has been spelled many different ways, including Beman, Beeman, Bemon, Beemon, Bayman, Baymon and many more.

Early Notables of the Bemen family

More information is included under the topic Early Bemen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bemen migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Bemens to arrive in North America:

Bemen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Harmon Bemen, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1832 4

Sources +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)