Dayen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Dayen is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Dayen family lived in Surrey. However, there is no agreed upon origin for this name, so we will take a moment to explore the various qualified sources and summarize their thoughts.

Reaney postulates the name was perhaps from Old French word "digne" or "dein," meaning "worthy or honorable." He also postulated that the name could have been from "digne," meaning "haughty, reserved." 1

Charnock notes the name could be from "De Dine, and it is probably derived from locality; perhaps from Digne (Dinia), a walled town of France." 2

Mark Antony Lower notes the name was "Anciently Dine. Might come from the French digne, worthy. There is a statement, however, I know not of what authority, that the family were identical with the Dyves, who came into England from Normandy with the Conqueror." 3

Harrison believes the name was from "the French Dion, an abbrev. of Latin Dionys(i)us." 4

Bardsley believes the name was related to "a geographical locality, 'at the dane' or 'dean' " or perhaps 'at the Dene' 5

Burke weighs in thusly and adds other authority's thoughts: "An alteration in Domesday Book itself from de Dingy to Dive has led to the future confusion as to this name. Sir F. Palgrave, in his work on public records, describing Henry de Dyne, temp. Henry III., says, this name is sometimes written de Dive, and Dugdale uses the two indiscriminately. This family were actively engaged in the contests of the barons with Kings John and Henry III.; and at the final subjection of the latter, Windsor Castle and Forest were committed to Hugo de-Dyne. They have held grants downwards from the conquest, one of them to Robereus dyns, by King Stephen, continued to them to the time of Cromwell's rebellion, when, in the hands of Sir Louis de Dyve, half-brother to Lord Digby, secretary of state to Charles I., it was confiscated by the parliament. " 6

Early Origins of the Dayen family

The surname Dayen was first found in Surrey where Robert le Dine was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1201. A few years later, again in Surrey, Richard le Digne was found in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1222 and later again, Gilbert le Dyne, Dynes was found in Yorkshire in 1275 and 1284. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcester included a listing for Nicholas Dain in 1275. 1

"The family, however, still surviving as holders of estates in Kent and Sussex, were allowed the hereditary arms during the rebellion in the name of Dyne or Dyve de Battersden, Kent, and had the same confirmed to them when scrutiny after the restoration of the Sussex visitation, 1662. The name is now represented in Kent by F. Bradley Dyne, Esq., of Gore Court, who still holds lands at Bethersden. The Sussex property passed to the Briscoes now of Coghurst, the grandfather of the present Musgrave Briscoe, Esq., having married the daughter and heiress of Edward Dyne, Esq., of Coghurst, Sussex." 6

Early History of the Dayen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dayen research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1352, 1377, 1383, 1397, 1412, 1413, 1414, 1768, 1772, 1779, 1784 and 1788 are included under the topic Early Dayen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dayen Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Dayen are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Dayen include Dyne, Dine, Dives, Dynne, Dinne, Dyves, Dyon and others.

Early Notables of the Dayen family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Nicholas Dyne (fl. 1352) of East Grinstead; John Dyne I (died 1412/1413), who owned land in the Kentish hundreds of Hayne, an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Hythe (1377-1397); and his son, John Dyne II (fl. 1383-1414), an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Hythe (1383-1414); and Sir John Dyne.John Dyne was a a distinguished alto...
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dayen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dayen family

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Dayen, or a variant listed above: George and Thomas Dine arrived in Philadelphia in 1836; William Dyon settled in Virginia in 1649.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.