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![Show Contents]() Dafentray History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The roots of the Anglo-Saxon name Dafentray come from when the family resided in Daventry, a town in Northants (now Northampton). The place-name was rendered as Daventrei in the Domesday Book, 1 a census and survey taken by William the Conqueror in 1086. The place-name Daventry is derived from the Old English personal name Dafa, and means "tree of a man called Dafa, Dafa's tree." It is interesting to note that the pronunciation of the placename Daventry is not as it would appear. Locals pronounce Daventry as Daintree, giving rise to the many variations of this name that are found. Another source has a different understanding about the origin of the place name. "The British name of this place, Dwy-Avon-Tre, 'the town of two Avons,' from which its present appellation is derived, originated in its situation between the source of the river Leam, which falls into the Western Avon, and the river Nene, anciently styled the Aufona. " 2 Early Origins of the Dafentray familyThe surname Dafentray was first found in Northampton at Daventry, a market-town, a parish, and the head of a union, in the hundred of Fawsley. Early History of the Dafentray familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dafentray research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1140, 1296, 1349, 1373 and 1400 are included under the topic Early Dafentray History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Dafentray Spelling VariationsThe English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Dafentray has been recorded under many different variations, including Daventry, Daintry, Dainty, Dantry, Dantye and others. Early Notables of the Dafentray familyMore information is included under the topic Early Dafentray Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Dafentray familyFor many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Dafentray or a variant listed above: William Daintry who settled in New England in 1695; Henry Dainty settled in Barbados in 1640; Katherine Daintye settled in Maryland in 1685.
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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