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.Early Origins of the Carminaw family
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.
Early History of the Carminaw family
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 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.
Early Notables of the Carminaw family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Carminaw Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Carminaw family to the New World and Oceana
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