Bethea Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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Bethea was first used as a surname in the Scottish/English Borderlands in the medieval era. It came from the personal name Edmond. Bethea is a patronymic surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Many patronyms were formed by a son using his father's personal name as a surname. Others were taken from the names of important religious and secular figures. Members of the Bethea family settled in Scotland, just following the Norman Conquest of England, in 1066.

Bethea Early Origins

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The surname Bethea was first found in Edinburghshire, a former county, now part of the Midlothian council area where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Queen Margaret of Scotland. They take their name from the place name Edmondstone, the tun of Eadmund, near Edinburgh. The name may have been derived from Aedmund filius Forn, one of the witnesses to a charter by Thor filius Swani ( c. 1150)

Bethea Spelling Variations

Boernician names that evolved in the largely preliterate Middle Ages are often marked by considerable spelling variations. Bethea has been spelled Edmondson, Edmonson, Edminson, Edminston, Edmiston, Edmeston, Edmondon and many more.

Bethea Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bethea research. Another 325 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1070, 1560, 1607, 1659, 1622, 1627, 1712 and 1654 are included under the topic Early Bethea History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bethea Early Notables (pre 1700)

Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bethea Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bethea In Ireland

Some of the Bethea family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 171 words (12 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

Some of the Boernician-Scottish Clan families who came to North America were Loyalists who went north to Canada after the American War of Independence. Families on both sides of the border went on to found two of the world's great nations. This century, families with Scottish roots have rediscovered their heritage through highland games and clan societies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Bethea or a variant listed above:

Bethea Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Flora or Mrs. J.K. Bethea, aged 35, who emigrated to the United States, in 1913
James K. Bethea, aged 45, who landed in America, in 1914
Robert C. Bethea, aged 28, who landed in America, in 1918
John G. Bethea, who emigrated to America, in 1919
John Goodman Bethea, aged 29, who arrived at New York, in 1920
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Bethea (post 1700)

Major-General James Albertus Bethea (1887-1984), American Chief Surgeon, Far East Command (1948-1949)
Larry Bethea (1956-1987), American NFL football defensive lineman
James Bethea (b. 1965), American producer and occasional actor
Erin Bethea (b. 1982), American actress
Elvin Bethea (b. 1946), former American football defensive end, inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Ellen Bethea (b. 1967), American actress, best known for her role as Rachel Gannon on One Life to Live
Antoine Bethea (b. 1984), American NFL football safety
Solomon Hicks Bethea (1852-1909), United States federal judge

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: Virtus auget honorem
Motto Translation: Virtue increases honour.

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Citations

^ Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)

Other References

Burke, Sir Bernard. Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry Including American Families with British Ancestry 2 Volumes. London: Burke Publishing, 1939. Print.
Skene, William Forbes Edition. Chronicles of the Picts, Chronicles of the Scots and Other Early Memorials of Scottish History. Edinburgh: H.M. General Register House, 1867. Print.
Scots Kith and Kin And Illustrated Map Revised 2nd Edition. Edinburgh: Clan House/Albyn. Print.
Adam, Frank. Clans Septs and Regiments of the Scottish Highlands 8th Edition. London: Bacon (G.W.) & Co, 1970. Print. (ISBN 10-0717945006).
Catholic Directory For Scotland. Glasgow: Burns Publications. Print.
Bolton, Charles Knowles. Scotch Irish Pioneers In Ulster and America. Montana: Kessinger Publishing. Print.
Browne, James. The History of Scotland it's Highlands, Regiments and Clans 8 Volumes. Edinburgh: Francis A Niccolls & Co, 1909. Print.
Weis, Frederick Lewis, Walter Lee Sheppard and David Faris. Ancestral Roots of Sixty Colonists Who Came to New England Between 1623 and 1650 7th Edition. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0806313676).
Prebble, John. The Highland Clearances. London: Secker & Warburg, 1963. Print.
Browning, Charles H. Americans of Royal Descent. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
...

The Bethea Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Bethea Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 28 October 2015 at 21:31.