Dante History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Italy

The distinguished surname Dante was first brought to England in the wake of the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name is patronymic in origin, signifying "the son of Durant," an Old French personal name. Looking at records from this time, we found Geoffry, Roger and Henry Durant who claimed descent from Normandy c. 1180-95 1 while another census in 1198, lists Aceline, Ralph, Richard, and Robert Durant. 2

Early Origins of the Dante family

The surname Dante was first found in Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and Shropshire at Tong, a parish, in the union of Shiffnall, Shiffnall division of the hundred of Brimstree. "Tong Castle, the seat of the family of Durant, a magnificent mansion remodelled in the last century, is crowned with numerous turrets, pinnacles, and eight lofty domes, producing a striking effect: it contains many valuable pictures and cabinets." 3

The Domesday Book of 1086 has the first record of the family. Durandus, the Latin form of the name in use at that time was registered in Winton, Hampshire as holding lands there at that time. 4

Another branch of the family were found at Wallingswells in the West Riding of Yorkshire. "In excavating near the house [of Sir Thomas Woolaston White], in 1829, several stone coffins were found, and amongst them that of Dame Margery Dourant, second abbess of the convent, who died in the reign of Richard I ([1189-1199)]." 3

And yet another branch of the family was found in Cornwall. "The manor of Lanestock, which is partly in the parish [of St. Austell], and partly in Tywardreath, has of late years passed under the same title as Trenance Austell. This was anciently in the family of Durant, from whom it passed into that of the Arundells of Trerice in Newlyn. The manor of Thorlebear [in the parish of Launcells, Cornwall] was formerly the property of the Durants, by whose heiress it was carried in marriage to the Arundells of Trerice." 5

Early History of the Dante family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dante research. Another 111 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1140, 1296, 1564, 1578, 1631, 1644, 1660 and 1715 are included under the topic Early Dante History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dante Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval 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. The name has been spelled Durand, Durant, Durande, Durrane, Dant, Dante and many more.

Early Notables of the Dante family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Thomas Drant (d. 1578?), English divine and poet, born at Hagworthingham in Lincolnshire, son of Thomas Drant. "On the occasion of Queen Elizabeth's visit to the university in August 1564 he composed copies of English, Latin, and Greek verses, which he presented to her majesty. " 6 John Durnat...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dante Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dante migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Dante or a variant listed above:

Dante Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Dante, who arrived in Maryland in 1669 7

Dante Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Eli Dante, who landed in Arkansas in 1896 7

Dante Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Charley Dante, who arrived in Arkansas in 1901 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Dante (post 1700) +

William E. Dante, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Otsego County 1st District, 1889 8
Joseph J. Dante, American politician, Warden (borough president) of Bantam, Connecticut, 1950 8
Alessio Dante Angelucci (b. 1988), South African Major League Baseball pitcher
Michael Dante DiMartino, American animation director
Dante Stefani (1927-2023), Italian partisan and politician who served in the Senate of the Republic from 1979 to 1987
Dante Crippa (1937-2021), Italian professional footballer who played as a midfielder from 1955 to 1970
Dante Frasnelli Tarter (1925-2020), Italian-Peruvian Roman Catholic bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Huari, Peru, from 1967 to 2001
Dante Marioni (b. 1964), American glass artist from Mill Valley, California
Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882), English painter and poet, eldest son of Gabriele Rossetti, born at 38 Charlotte Street, Portland Place, co-founder of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in 1848
Dante Alfred Magnani (1917-1985), American NFL football player who played from 1940 to 1950

Citations +

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)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 27) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html