De clare History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of De clare

What does the name De clare mean?

The surname De clare is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. As a general rule, the greater the distance between an individual and their homeland, the larger the territory they were named after. For example, a person who only moved to another parish would be known by the name of their original village, while people who migrated to a different country were often known by the name of a region or country from which they came. The De clare family lived at St. Clare in the arrondisement of Pont d'Eveque, Normandy before arriving in Scotland.

Early Origins of the De clare family

The surname De clare was first found in Suffolk, 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 De clare family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our De clare research. Another 123 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1086 and 1130 are included under the topic Early De clare History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

De clare Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: St. Clair, St. Clare, St. Clere, De Clare and others.

Early Notables of the De clare family

More information is included under the topic Early De clare Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the De clare family to Ireland

Some of the De clare family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the De clare family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: David St. Clair settled in Philadelphia in 1855; Thomas St. Clair settled in Baltimore in 1783; Neil St. Clare settled in Virginia in 1654.

The De clare 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: Entends-Toi