Church History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Anglo-Saxon name Church comes from the family having resided near a church. The surname Church is derived from the old English word cyrice, which is itself derived from the Late Greek word kyrikon, which means house of the Lord. 1 2

Church therefore belongs to the class of topographic surnames, which were given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. The Aglish surname is only found in Ireland where it is one of the few times an English name has been translated into Irish (eaglais, pronounced aglish, Gaelic for a church)

Early Origins of the Church family

The surname Church was first found in principally in Somerset but also many counties of England. One of the first records of the name was Thomas Attechurche who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcester in 1296. The "atte" prefix was quite popular for this surname at that time. Henry atte Churche was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1368. Henry of the Chirche was listed in 1368. In Norfolk, records there show John Atte-cherch was rector of Metton in 1338. 3

In Somerset, John atte Churche was listed there 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 4 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Robert atte Chyrche, Norfolk and later, John Atte-cherch was rector of Metton, Norfolk 1338. 5

"In the 16th century the family of Church or Churche held the manor of Woodham - Mortimer; and in the 17th century, Mr. William Church owned part of the Arnolds estate in Lamborn parish, [Berkshire]." 6

Early History of the Church family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Church research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1338, 1388, 1572, 1580, 1639, 1659, 1675, 1676, 1718, 1723, 1741, 1890 and 1903 are included under the topic Early Church History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Church Spelling Variations

Church has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Spelling variants included: Church, Churche, Churchey, Aglish (Ireland) and others.

Early Notables of the Church family

Distinguished members of the family include

Colonel Benjamin Church (c.1639-1718), captain of the first Ranger force in America (1676) and is considered the father of American ranging
John Church (1675?-1741), was an English musician, "said to have been born at Windsor in 1675, and educated as a chorister at New College, Oxford. " 7 " He obtained also the appointments of lay v...

Church World Ranking

In the United States, the name Church is the 763^rd most popular surname with an estimated 39,792 people with that name. 8 However, in New Zealand, the name Church is ranked the 840^th most popular surname with an estimated 867 people with that name. 9 And in the United Kingdom, the name Church is the 795^th popular surname with an estimated 8,507 people with that name. 10

Migration of the Church family to Ireland

Some of the Church family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 277 words (20 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Church migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Churchs to arrive on North American shores:

Church Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Richard Church who settled in Plymouth in the year 1630, who arrived in the fleet with Winthrop in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose". He was admitted as a freeman of the Colony in 1633 and built the first Church of Dover in 1662. He was taken by Indians, escaped and was finally killed twenty years later by Indians in his own home. 11
Richard Church, who settled in Virginia in 1630
Mr. George Church, aged 16, servant who arrived aboard the ship "Confidence" in 1638 in New England and Boston stated, bound for Newbury 12
Mr. Martin Church, (b. 1619), aged 16, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Safety" arriving in Virginia in 1635 13
Richard Church, who arrived in Hartford, Connecticut in 1636 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Church Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

George Church, who arrived in New England in 1732 11
John Church, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1773 11
Oliver Church, aged 19, who arrived in New York in 1775 11
Benjamin Church, who arrived in New York in 1796 11
William, Church Jr., who arrived in America in 1797 11

Church Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Lapil Church, aged 19, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1807 11
George Church, who landed in New York in 1810 11
George Church, aged 29, who arrived in New York in 1812 11
Robert Church, aged 30, who arrived in New York in 1812 11
James Church, aged 24, who arrived in New York in 1812 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Church migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Church Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Constant Church, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1760
Edward Church, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1760
Jonathan Church, who arrived in Anapolis (Annapolis), Nova Scotia in 1760
William Church, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1760
Edward Church, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1761
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Church Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Edwin Church, who arrived in Canada in 1831
William Church, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Daniel O'Connell" in 1834
Munson Church, who landed in Canada in 1834

Church migration to Australia +

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

Church Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Church, English convict who was convicted in London, England for life, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 16th January 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
Mr. Edgar Church, British Convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Batavia" in October 1817, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
Mr. John Church, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Earl St Vincent" on 6th April 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 16
William Church, English convict from Essex, who was transported aboard the "Andromeda" on November 13, 1832, settling in New South Wales, Australia 17
Mr. Charles Church, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 27th May 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 18
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Church migration to New Zealand +

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:

Church Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William Church, who landed in Tamaki, Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
Thomas Church, who landed in Tamaki, Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
Mr. Charles Church, (b. 1842), aged 21, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Huntress" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st April 1863 19
Mr. Henry Church, (b. 1842), aged 21, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Huntress" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st April 1863 19
Mr. George Church, (b. 1828), aged 36, British labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Glenmark" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st January 1865 19
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Church 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. 20

Church Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

John Church, aged 21, who arrived in Barbados in 1635 aboard the ship "Falcon" 11
Mr. Edward Church, (b. 1617), aged 18, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Alexander" arriving in Barbados in 1635 21
Mr. William Church, (b. 1614), aged 21, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Paul of London" arriving in St Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1635 22
Charles Church, aged 38, who landed in Barbados in 1684 11
Daniel Church, aged 23, who arrived in Barbados in 1684 11

Contemporary Notables of the name Church (post 1700) +

George W. Church Sr. (1903-1956), American founder of Church's Chicken, a chain of franchised fried chicken restaurants in 1952
George McDonald Church (b. 1954), American geneticist, molecular engineer, and chemist, founder of the Personal Genome Project
Frederick Stuart Church (1842-1924), American artist
Frank Forrester Church III (1924-1984), American lawyer and politician, United States Senator from Idaho (1957-1981), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (1979-1981)
Frederick A. Church (1878-1936), American engineer and early roller coaster designer
Francis Pharcellus Church (1839-1906), American publisher and editor
Kenneth Eric Church (b. 1977), American country music singer and songwriter
Ellen Church (1904-1965), American pioneer, the first female flight attendant
Doug Church (b. 1968), American computer game designer and producer
Dr. Benjamin Church (1734-1778), American physician, Chief Physician & Director General of the Medical Service of the Continental Army in 1775, essentially the first Surgeon General of the U.S. Army
... (Another 16 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Church family +

Hillsborough disaster

Gary Christopher Church (1969-1989), English joiner who was attending the FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough Stadium, in Sheffield, Yorkshire when the stand allocated area became overcrowded and 96 people were crushed in what became known as the Hillsborough disaster and he died from his injuries 23

HMS Royal Oak

Ovidio Church (1921-1939), Maltese Assistant Steward with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 24

The Church 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:
Motto Translation: Virtue

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved October 5th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/batavia
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-st-vincent
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 27) Andromeda voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1832 with 186 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/andromeda/1832
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 28th September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's (Retrieved October 4th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Hillsborough Victims (retreived 21st March 2021). Retreived from https://metro.co.uk/2019/04/15/remembering-96-victims-hillsborough-disaster-30-years-9206566/
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html