Show ContentsDearien History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Dearien reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Dearien family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Dearien family lived in Kent, where the family was found since the early Middle Ages.

Early Origins of the Dearien family

The surname Dearien was first found in Kent where the family claim descendancy from "Norman de Morinis, whose ancestor, Vitalis FitzOsbert, lived in the reign of Henry II. Norman de Morinis married the daughter of Deringus, descended from the Norman Fitz-Dering, Sheriff of this county in King Stephens' reign. " 1

Derrington is a village west of the town of Stafford, in Staffordshire. The village dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was first listed as Dodintone and literally meant "estate associated with a man called Dod(d)a or Dud(d)a" from the Old English personal name + "-ing" + "tun." 2

Early History of the Dearien family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dearien research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1540, 1576, 1598, 1610, 1617, 1625, 1629, 1636, 1644, 1650, 1658, 1660, 1662, 1670, 1679, 1684, 1685, 1689, 1695, 1711, 1713 and 1749 are included under the topic Early Dearien History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dearien Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Dering, Deareing, Dearing, Deering, Derringer and many more.

Early Notables of the Dearien family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Edward Dering (1540?-1576), English Puritan divine who was descended from an ancient and still existing Kentish family, which claims to be of Saxon origin, was the third son of John Dering, Esq., of Surrenden-Dering, Kent. 3Sir Anthony Dering of Surrenden Dering in Pluckley, Kent (d.1636) was an early peer. His son, Sir Edward Dering (1598-1644), was an English antiquary and politician, Member of Parliament for Hythe and Kent (1629), also known for his Dering Roll, a 13th century Roll of arms, believed to be the earliest surviving English roll of arms currently owned...
Another 127 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dearien Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dearien family to Ireland

Some of the Dearien family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 48 words (3 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 Dearien family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Dearien name or one of its variants: Thomas Deering, who arrived in Virginia in 1638; Samuel Deering, who settled in Braintree, MA in 1649; Sarah Dearing, who settled in Boston in 1679; Edmund Deering, who settled in Virginia in 1653.



  1. Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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