Carminaw Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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The Carminaw history begins in Cornwall, a rugged coastal region in southwestern England. Quite distinct from Devon, the adjoining county, Cornwall had its own spoken language until the late 18th century. The Carminaw history began here. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames were derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used local surnames. The Carminaw family originally lived in Cornwall at the manor of Carminow.

Carminaw Early Origins

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The surname Carminaw was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Carminow, in the parish of St.Mawgan. Family tradition has it that this family goes back to the time of King Arthur, or so it was attested in the Court of Chivalry, at the time of King Richard II when the family claimed a Coat of Arms which was also being used by the Scropes and the Grosvenors. The Carminow also attested that one of his ancestors represented King Edward the Confessor at the Court of the Duke of Normandy (1060) A.D.

Carminaw Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Carminow, Carmenow, Carminoe, Carminough, Carmino, Carmynow, Carminaw and many more.

Carminaw Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Carminaw research. Another 217 words (16 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Carminaw History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Carminaw Early Notables (pre 1700)

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

The Great Migration

Early records show that people bearing the name Carminaw arrived in North America quite early:

Carminaw Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Edward Carminaw who landed in North America in 1750

Carminaw Family Crest Products

Citations

Other References

Bradford, William. History of Plymouth Plantation 1620-1647 Edited by Samuel Eliot Morrison 2 Volumes. New York: Russell and Russell, 1968. Print.
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).
Virkus, Frederick A. Ed. Immigrant Ancestors A List of 2,500 Immigrants to America Before 1750. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1964. Print.
Fairbairn. Fairbain's book of Crests of the Families of Great Britain and Ireland, 4th Edition 2 volumes in one. Baltimore: Heraldic Book Company, 1968. Print.
Bowman, George Ernest. The Mayflower Reader A Selection of Articales from The Mayflower Descendent. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
Humble, Richard. The Fall of Saxon England. New York: Barnes and Noble, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-88029-987-8).
Bolton, Charles Knowles. Bolton's American Armory. Baltimore: Heraldic Book Company, 1964. Print.
Reaney P.H and R.M. Wilson. A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X).
Hitching, F.K and S. Hitching. References to English Surnames in 1601-1602. Walton On Thames: 1910. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0181-3).
Burke, John Bernard Ed. The Roll of Battle Abbey. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
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The Carminaw Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Carminaw 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 1 April 2014 at 14:14.