Blanchflower History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Blanchflower

What does the name Blanchflower mean?

The name Blanchflower is rooted in the ancient Norman culture that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It was a name for someone who was a man with a pale appearance. This nickname derives from the Old French blanch, meaning white or pale, and fleur, meaning flower.

Early Origins of the Blanchflower family

The surname Blanchflower was first found in Somerset where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Kingston, and conjecturally the family is descended from Hubert de St. Clar who held his lands from the Count of Mortaine at the time of the taking of the Domesday Book Survey in 1086 A.D.

Early History of the Blanchflower family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blanchflower research. Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Blanchflower History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blanchflower Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Blanceflower, Blanchflower, Blancheflower, Blanchflour, Blankflower and many more.

Early Notables of the Blanchflower family

Blanchflower of Somerset

Blanchflower 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. 1

Blanchflower Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Elizabeth Blanchflower who settled in Barbados in 1678

Contemporary Notables of the name Blanchflower (post 1700) +

David G Blanchflower, Professor in the department of Economics at Dartmouth College
Robert Dennis "Danny" Blanchflower (1926-1993), British (Belfast born) footballer, football manager, and journalist
Robert Dennio Blanchflower (1926-1993), birth name of Danny Blanchflower, the English footballer and football manager
Danny Blanchflower (b. 1926), British soccer player

Sources +

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies