Show ContentsBacon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Bacon

What does the name Bacon mean?

Bacon is a name that came to England in the 11th century wave of migration that was set off by the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Bacon family lived in Suffolk. Originally, the name Bacon was originally derived from a seigniory in Normandy. Some of the family came from Maine, and there the name was also spelt Bacco. 1 This name appeared in England after members of the Bacon family had migrated from Normandy to Suffolk.

"Some derive this surname from the Saxon baccen or buccen, a beech—tree. Upon the monument of Thomas Bacon, in Brome Church in Suffolk (England), there is a beech—tree engraven in brass, with a man resting under it. It appears, also, that the first Lord—keeper, Sir Nicholas Bacon, with his two wives, are represented in a similar manner." 2

Early Origins of the Bacon family

The surname Bacon was first found in Suffolk, where they held a family seat at Monks' Bradfield as early as the reign of Richard (1189-1199.) 3 Now known as Bradfield St. George, Monks-Bradfield is a parish, in the union of Thingoe, hundred of Thedwastry, in the west division of Suffolk. 4

Shortly after the Conquest, some of the family was also found at Letheringsett, in Norfolk. "According to the genealogy of the great Suffolk family of Bacon, one Grimbald, a relative of the Norman chieftain William de Warenne, came to England and settled near Holt. His great grandson is stated to have taken the name Bacon. " 5

Not all the family went to England as seen by William Bacon who in 1082, endowed the abbey of the Holy Trinity at Caen. "Richard Bacon occurs later; and 1154 Roger Bacon held estates in Wiltshire. In 1165 Robert, William, and Alexander Bacon held four knights' fees of ancient enfeoffment in Essex from the Barony of Montfichet. " 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: John le Bacon. T. Cecilia Bacun in Norfolk; Wymer Bacon, Surrey; and Simon Bacon, Oxfordshire. Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Walterus Bacun. 6

"Knightly families of Bacon or Bacune held manors in the 13th and 14th centuries in the parishes of Dengie and Mountnessing [Essex], manors which seem to have taken in each case the name of Bacon from their early lords. Probably the original Bacons of Essex branched off long ago from the great Suffolk family of Bachun, Bacun, or Bacon, itself descended from a Norman stock in the 11th century. In the 13th century, Bacun was a common name in Suffolk and Oxfordshire, and less so in Norfolk and Gloucestershire. " 7

Early History of the Bacon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bacon research. Another 208 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1214, 1294, 1500, 1510, 1512, 1540, 1541, 1561, 1567, 1579, 1586, 1587, 1591, 1593, 1594, 1600, 1618, 1621, 1622, 1623, 1624, 1626, 1645, 1647, 1657, 1660, 1663, 1666, 1672, 1676, 1685, 1687, 1700, 1707 and 1721 are included under the topic Early Bacon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bacon Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Bacon has been recorded under many different variations, including Bacon, Bachun, Bacun and others.

Early Notables of the Bacon family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Sir Nicholas Bacon (1510-1579), an English politician, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. His daughter Elizabeth Bacon (c. 1541-1621) is presumed to have been the Lady Neville of My Ladye Nevells Booke, k...
  • Sir Nicholas Bacon, 1st Baronet, of Redgrave (c. 1540-1624), MP, Premier Baronet of England, was half-brother of Sir Francis Bacon; Sir Francis Bacon (1587-1657), an English judge, son of John Bacon...

Bacon World Ranking

In Quebec, Canada, the name Bacon is the 750th most popular surname. 8 However, in the United States, the name Bacon is ranked the 1,041st most popular surname with an estimated 29,844 people with that name. 9 And in France, the name Bacon is the 5,269th popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 10 The United Kingdom ranks Bacon as 673rd with 9,819 people. 11

Migration of the Bacon family to Ireland

Some of the Bacon family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Bacon migration to Canada +

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Bacons were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:

Bacon Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
  • Gilles Bacon, who was the son of Etienne and Madeleine Féron and married in Quebec in 1647
  • Gilles Bacon, son of Étienne and Madeleine, who married Marie Tavernier, daughter of Éloi and Marguerite, in Quebec on 2nd May 1647 12
  • Eustache Bacon married in Vachon, Quebec in 1674
  • Eustache Bacon, son of Gillies and Marie, who married Louise Guimont, daughter of Louis and Jeanne, in Quebec on 7th June 1674 12
  • Angélique Bacon married in Chateau-Richer, Quebec in 1696
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Bacon Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Jeanne Bacon married in Chateau-Richer, Quebec in 1708
  • Louis Bacon, son of Eustache and Louise, who married Marie-Madeleine Cloutier, daughter of Charles and Anne, in Château-Richer, Quebec on 3rd November 1711 12
  • Joseph Bacon, son of Eustache and Louise, who married Dorothée Cloutier, daughter of Charles and Anne, in Château-Richer, Quebec on 3rd February 1716 12
  • Noel Bacon, son of Eustache and Louise, who married Marie-Charlotte Morin, daughter of Pierre-Noel and Marguerite, in Quebec on 20th July 1721 12
  • Joseph Bacon, son of Joseph and Dorothée, who married Marie-Anne Poulin, daughter of Guillaume and Geneviève-Marguerite, in Saint-Joachim, Quebec on 7th November 1740 12
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Bacon Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Ebenezer Bacon, who arrived in Canada in 1841

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bacon Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Bacon, who arrived in Virginia in 1622 13
  • Richard Bacon, who arrived in America in 1635 13
  • George Bacon, aged 43, who landed in Hingham, Massachusetts in 1635 13
  • George Bacon who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1635
  • Daniel Bacon, aged 30, who arrived in Virginia aboard the ship "David" in 1635 13
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Bacon Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Lind Bacon, who landed in Virginia in 1700 13
  • Sarah Bacon, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 13
  • Butts Bacon, who landed in New Hampshire in 1726 13
  • Margaret Bacon, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1773 13
  • Benjamin Bacon, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1775 13
Bacon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Cath Bacon, who landed in America in 1805 13
  • Robert Bacon, who arrived in America in 1805 13
  • Edward Bacon, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1823 13
  • T H Bacon, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 13
  • J Bacon, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1860 13
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

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

Bacon Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
Bacon Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Frederick Bacon, British Convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 11th August 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
  • John Bacon, a stone-mason, who arrived in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) sometime between 1825 and 1832
  • Dennis Bacon, a mason, who arrived in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) sometime between 1825 and 1832
  • Miss Elizabeth Bacon who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Burrell" on 31st December 1831, arriving in New South Wales 16
  • Henry Bacon, aged 19, a labourer, who arrived in Kangaroo Island aboard the ship "Buffalo" in 1836 17
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

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:

Bacon Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • William Bacon, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1841
  • John James Bacon, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lord Burleigh" in 1856
  • Mr. John Bacon, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Lord Burleigh" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th August 1856 18
  • Mrs. Margaret Bacon, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Lord Burleigh" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th August 1856 18
  • Miss Margaret Bacon, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Lord Burleigh" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th August 1856 18
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

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. 19
Bacon Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Mr. Edward Bacon, (b. 1610), aged 25, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Anne and Elizabeth" arriving in Barbados in 1635 20

Contemporary Notables of the name Bacon (post 1700) +

  • Roger Stuart Bacon (1926-2021), Canadian politician from Upper Nappan, Nova Scotia, 21st Premier of Nova Scotia from 1990 to 1991
  • Francis Bacon KC (1561-1626), 1st Viscount St Alban, English philosopher, statesman, scientist, jurist and author, Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England
  • Sir Nicholas Bacon (1509-1579), English statesman
  • John Bacon (1740-1799), English sculptor
  • Sarah Bacon (b. 1996), American diver, silver medal winner at the 2024 Summer Olympics
  • David Walter Bacon, Canadian educator and professor at Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario
  • Mr. George Bacon, British sheriff, who held the position of Sheriff of Nottingham, England from 1836 to 1837
  • Donald Frederick Bacon (1926-2020), New Zealand microbiologist from Gisborne, New Zealand
  • Kevin Ashley Bacon (1932-2020), Australian three-time Olympic equestrian
  • Mr. Michael Paul Bacon O.B.E., British recipient of the Officer of the Order of the British Empire on 29th December 2018 for services to national security 21
  • ... (Another 96 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMAS Sydney II
  • Mr. Jack Cawston Bacon (1905-1941), English Lieutenant-Commander (O) from Staines, Surrey, England, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 22
Vimy Ridge
  • Francis William Bacon (1875-1917), Canadian waiter, Private in the 44th Battalion from Manitoba who died at Vimy Ridge August 1917


The Bacon 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: Mediocria firma
Motto Translation: Mediocrity is safe.


Suggested Readings for the name Bacon +

  • Three Bacon Brothers: Descendants of Theodore S. Back of Allegany County, New York by Marian Fox Graves.

  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  3. Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
  4. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  5. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  6. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  7. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  8. "The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
  9. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  10. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  11. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  12. Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.
  13. 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)
  14. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Britannia
  15. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
  16. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/burrell
  17. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HMS BUFFALO 1836. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1836Buffalo.htm
  18. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  20. Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's. Retrieved 23rd September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  21. "Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists
  22. HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp


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