Origins Available: English,
German
Soon after the
Norman Conquest of
England in 1066, the name Dax was recognized on the island as a name for a person who had a duck-like gait or bore some other resemblance to a duck. The surname Dax is derived from Old English words
duk, dukke, duck, doke, and
dook, which all mean
duck. However, these words are often indistinguishable from the various Old English words
duc, duk, duke, douc, and
doke, which all came from the Old French word
duc. This ultimately came from the Latin word
dux, which means
leader, and is a derivative of the verb
ducere, which means
to lead. Early Origins of the Dax family
The surname Dax was first found in
Norfolk where they held a
family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of
Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.
Early History of the Dax family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dax research.
Another 135 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1632, 1691, 1515, 1559, 1546, 1595, 1636, 1639, 1638 and 1672 are included under the topic Early Dax History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Dax 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 Duck, Duche, Ducke and others.
Early Notables of the Dax family (pre 1700)
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Nicholas Duck, a prominent lawyer in the city of London; Sir John Duck, 1st
Baronet (c. 1632-1691), English politicin, Mayor of Durham; Leonard Digges (c.1515-c.1559), English mathematician and surveyor, credited with the...
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dax Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Dax family to Ireland
Some of the Dax family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Dax family to the New World and Oceana
Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain. 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 Dax or a variant listed above:
Dax Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Thomas Dax, who landed in Maryland in 1674 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)