| ![Show Contents]() Denais History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of DenaisWhat does the name Denais mean? The name Denais has a long French heritage that first began in the northern region of Normandy. The name is derived from when the family lived in the diocese of Coutances, in Normandy. 1 Early Origins of the Denais familyThe surname Denais was first found in Normandy (French: Normandie), the former Duchy of Normandy, where they held a family seat at Aigneaux in the diocese of Coutances in Rouen, and were members of the aristocracy of that region. The first of this name on record was Herbert D'Aigneaux who was descended from the Vicomte Caen in the Cotentin. The family gave its name to the parish of Aigneaux. It is assumed that Herbert joined the Duke of Normandy in his conquest of England in 1066 A.D. Sometime before 1074 Herbert sold part of his estates to Bishop Odo of Bayeux, and also purchased other lands from Corbin, his son. The Aigneaux family had a very important barony consisting of many fiefs along the River Lavire for seven miles, together with St.-Contest at Amfreville on the island of Marie. They were the benefactors of many religious establishments. Early History of the Denais familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Denais research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1680 and 1736 are included under the topic Early Denais History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Denais Spelling VariationsChanges of spelling have occurred in most surnames. The earliest explanation is that during the early development of the French language, names were not yet fixed in spelling. Usually a person gave his version of his name, phonetically, to a scribe, a priest, or a recorder. This depended on accent, and local accents frequently changed the spelling of a name. Some variables were adopted by different branches of the family name. Hence, there are some spelling variations of the name Denais, including Daignault, D'Aigneau, Daigneau, Daignaux, D'Aiognaux, Daignaud, D'Aignaud, D'Aignault, D'Aigneaux, Daigneaux, Deneau, Deneault, Denyau, Denais, Deinout, Deinieau, Denault, Denaut, Denaux, Deneux, Denieau, Daieneault, D'Aieneault, Daineau, D'Aineau, Aignault and many more. Early Notables of the Denais familyMore information is included under the topic Early Denais Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Denais familyApproximately 110 years after the first landings by Cartier, there were only about 300 people in Quebec. France gave land incentives for 2,000 migrants during the next decade. Early marriage was desperately encouraged amongst the immigrants. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. Migration to New France (Quebec) continued from France until it fell in 1759. In the year 1675 the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported to Louisiana. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The distinguished family name Denais has made significant contributions to the culture, arts, sciences and religion of France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Denais were Jean Daignault settled in Quebec in 1665 from Brittany; Claude Denault arrived in Quebec in 1686 from Ile-de-France; Jacques Denault arrived in Quebec in 1740 from Normandy.
- 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)
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