Denhan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Denhan is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in or near the valley. The surname is derived form the word den, which meant valley. It is generally thought that the name was Saxon in origin and meant "the man of the valley; a dweller in the vale." 1

Early Origins of the Denhan family

The surname Denhan was first found in Essex, where the first record of the family was William Deneman who was listed in the Feet of Fines for 1314. A few years later, Adara Deneman was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Surrey in 1332. 2

Further to the north in Yorkshire, Thomas de Denne; Richard de Denne; and Adam Denman were all listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 3

Early History of the Denhan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Denhan research. Another 70 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Denhan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Denhan Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Denhan family name include Denman, Dennam and others.

Early Notables of the Denhan family

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

Migration of the Denhan family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Denhan surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Joe Denman settled in Bermuda in the Summers Islands in 1635; Thomas Denman settled in Barbados in 1673; Charles Denman settled in Boston in 1716; C.L. Denman arrived in San Francisco in 1850 with a lady..

The Denhan 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: Prudentia et constantia
Motto Translation: By prudence and constancy.

Citations +

Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)