Show ContentsDean History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Dean Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Dean

What does the name Dean mean?

The ancestors of the bearers of the Dean family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in an area where there was a valley. The place-name is derived from the Old English word denu, when translated means valley. This Old English word has also given rise to other local names such as West Dean in Sussex, Deane in Hampshire and Dean in Essex. 1

"Atte Dene is the common form in old times, implying residence at such a place. There are, however, eighteen parishes or places called Dean in the Gazetteer of England, and Dene occurs in Domesday Book as a personal appellation." 2 Alternatively, the name could have been from one who holds the office as in "the dean." 3

Another source claims the name could have been Norman in origin as two listings in the Latin form of the name were found in the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae in 1180-1195: William and Godfrey Decanus of Normandy. 4

Early Origins of the Dean family

The surname Dean was first found in Sussex where the first record was of Ralph Dene holding manor and estates in that shire. 5

"This name has two principal areas of distribution, one in Cheshire, Staffordshire, and in their vicinity, the other in the south of England, especially in Wiltshire and in the counties adjacent. There are numerous parishes of the name in the south of England, a circumstance that explains the prevalence of the name in that region." 6

By the time of the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, the name was scattered perhaps eluding to the aforementioned occupational nature of the name: Thomas dela Dene, Hertfordshire; Jacob de la Dene, Kent; and Robert le Deen, Cambridgeshire. 3

In northern England, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Johanna del Dene; Willelmus del Dene; and Johannes de Denne as all holding lands there at that time. 3

William Dene (fl. 1350), was an early English chronicler and probably author of a work preserved in the Cotton Library in the British Museum containing a record of the history of Rochester, 'Annales Roffenses,' from 1314 to 1358. "A William Dene who is mentioned as archdeacon of Rochester at various dates between 1323 and 1338 is no doubt to be distinguished from the chronicler, though probably related to him." 7

Early History of the Dean family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dean research. Another 147 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1350, 1400, 1440, 1491, 1496, 1500, 1501, 1502, 1503, 1582, 1585, 1588, 1610, 1628, 1638, 1653, 1676, 1703, 1708, 1709, 1721, 1731, 1890 and 1899 are included under the topic Early Dean History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dean Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Dean include Dean, Deane, Dene, Deans, Deanes, Denes, Adeane and others.

Early Notables of the Dean family

  • Henry Deane (c.1440-1503), Lord Chancellor of Ireland from 1491 to 1496, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1501 to 1503 and Lord Keeper of the Great Seal from 1500 to 1502; Richard Deane (1610-1653), a Br...
  • William Deane (d. 1588), was an English Catholic divine, educated in the English college at Rheims, and after ordination was sent on the mission in 1582. "He was apprehended before 1585, being one of...

Dean World Ranking

the United States, the name Dean is the 236th most popular surname with an estimated 111,915 people with that name. 8 However, in Canada, the name Dean is ranked the 567th most popular surname with an estimated 8,715 people with that name. 9 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Dean is the 486th popular surname with an estimated 97 people with that name. 10 Australia ranks Dean as 196th with 16,557 people. 11 New Zealand ranks Dean as 287th with 2,105 people. 12 The United Kingdom ranks Dean as 189th with 29,671 people. 13

Migration of the Dean family to Ireland

Some of the Dean family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 86 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dean migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled 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 ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Dean or a variant listed above:

Dean Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Stephen Dean, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1621 15
  • Walter Dean, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1637 15
  • William Dean, who landed in Virginia in 1637 15
  • Nicholas Dean, who settled in Virginia in 1654
  • Nich Dean, who arrived in Virginia in 1654 15
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Dean Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Eliz Dean, who landed in Virginia in 1703 15
  • Jeams Dean, who arrived in Virginia in 1705 15
  • Jeany Dean, who landed in Virginia in 1705 15
  • Daniel Dean, who landed in New England in 1725 15
  • Barzillai Dean, who landed in New England in 1745 15
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Dean Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Alexander Dean, who landed in New York in 1801 15
  • Thomas Dean, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1808 15
  • Hugh Dean, who arrived in New York in 1810 15
  • Stewart Dean, who landed in Maryland in 1812 15
  • Ramo Dean, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1829 15
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Dean Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Ephrane W Dean, who arrived in Arkansas in 1900 15
  • Mr. Edwin Dean, (b. 1869), aged 31, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "St Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 18th February 1900 en route to Ironwood, Michigan, USA 16

Dean migration to Canada +

Dean Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Robert Dean, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1774
  • William Dean, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1778
  • Mr. Aaron Dean U.E. who settled in Home District [York County], Ontario c. 1784 17
  • Mr. Jacob Dean U.E. (b. 1738) born in New York who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 he died in 1818 17
  • Mr. Josiah Dean U.E. who settled in Sophiasburgh & Ameliasburgh [Prince Edward County], Ontario c. 1786 17
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Dean Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Edward Dean, aged 20 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Syria" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in June 1847 18
  • Miss. Mary Dean who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Syria" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in 1847 18
  • Mr. Peter Dean, aged 26 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Syria" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in May 1847 18
  • Mr. Patrick Dean who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Naomi" departing 15th June 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 10th August 1847 but he died on board 19
  • Frederick Dean, who landed in Esquimalt, British Columbia in 1862
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dean migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the First Fleet and Second Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

First Fleet
  • Miss Elizabeth Dean, (Deane), (1770 - 1829), aged 18, British settler convicted in Warwickshire, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "Lady Juliana" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 14
Second Fleet
  • Mr. Robert Dean, British settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1789, sentenced to 7 years for breaking and entry, transported aboard the ship "Matilda" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 15
Following the First and Second Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Dean Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Dean migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Dean Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Jabez Dean, (b. 1818), aged 21, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in Port Nicholson, Wellington, New Zealand on 31st January 1840 25
  • Mrs. Dean, (b. 1820), aged 19, British settler travelling from London with a child aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in Port Nicholson, Wellington, New Zealand on 31st January 1840 25
  • William Dean, aged 20, a farmer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "London" in 1840
  • Jabez Dean, aged 21, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Oriental" in 1840
  • Ann Dean, aged 19, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Oriental" in 1840
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dean migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 26
Dean Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Abel Dean, who settled in Barbados in 1678
  • Henry Dean, who landed in Barbados in 1695 15

Contemporary Notables of the name Dean (post 1700) +

  • Ron Dean (1938-2025), American film and television actor, appeared in films including Rudy, Risky Business, The Breakfast Club, Cocktail, The Babe, The Fugitive, The Client, and The Dark Knight
  • Ruth Naomi Dean, American private in the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, first all-female, all-African-American battalion to server overseas
  • Freda Mae Dean (1921-6888), American private in the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, first all-female, all-African-American battalion to server overseas
  • Carl Thomas Dean (1942-2025), husband of Dolly Parton since 1966, renewed their vows in honor of their 50th wedding anniversary (2016), rarely accompanied his wife to any public events, ran an asphalt road and driveway-paving business in Nashville
  • Clark Dean (b. 2000), American rower, who competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics
  • Randolph "Randy" Hume Dean (b. 1955), former American NFL football quarterback who played for three seasons for the New York Giants from 1977 to 1979
  • Robert Klein Dean (1955-2023), American handball player who competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics, identical twin brother of Randy Dean
  • Lynn Blackwell Dean (1923-2022), American politician from Louisiana, President of St. Bernard Parish (1992–1996), Member of the Louisiana State Senate (1996-2004)
  • Patrick Dean (1976-2021), American cartoonist and illustrator from Rome, Georgia
  • ... (Another 20 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Air New Zealand Flight 901
  • Miss Kay Dean (1957-1979), New Zealander passenger, from Reporoa, Waikato, North Island, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; she died in the crash 27
  • Miss Harriet  Dean, Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 28
  • Mr. George A Dean (b. 1922), English Signalman serving for the Royal Navy from Eltham, London, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 29
  • Mr. Cyril A J Dean (b. 1920), English Stoker 1st Class serving for the Royal Navy from Iffley, Oxfordshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 30
  • Mr. James Dean, British Able Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 30
  • ... (Another 12 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Dean 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: Forti et fideli nihil difficile
Motto Translation: To the brave and faithful man nothing is difficult.

Suggested Readings for the name Dean +

  • A Family Tree in America: Being a Genealogical Story of the Families of Deane (also Dean), Putnam, Boynton, Gager, Bull, and Allied Families From the Year 1630 by Frank Putnam Deane.
  • My Maternal Ancestry: Dean, Matlock, Hale, Gahr Families in Tennesseeand Missouri by Melba Wood.
  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. 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)
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  6. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  7. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  8. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  9. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  10. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  11. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  12. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  13. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  14. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
  15. 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)
  16. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
  17. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  18. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 23)
  19. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 72)
  20. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-cornwallis
  21. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
  22. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Ann voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1809 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/ann/1809
  23. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 1st March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
  24. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
  25. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  26. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  27. Mount Erebus, Memorial, Roll of Remembrance (Retrieved 2018, February 21st). Retrieved from http://www.erebus.co.nz/memorialandawards/rollofremembrance.aspx
  28. Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
  29. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
  30. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html

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