Show ContentsDenion History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Denion is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived in Dinham, a hamlet in the county Monmouthshire. 1

Early Origins of the Denion family

The surname Denion was first found in Monmouthshire. However, another source points to Devon and Cornwall as the origin of the family. In this case, Barons Dinham, and De Dinant, claim descent from the Viscounts Dinant of Bretagne, France. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 has two listings in Devon: Oliver de Dynham; and Robert de Dyncham as both holding lands there at that time. 1

The manor of Bodarle or Bodardle, in the parish of Lanlivery, Cornwall belonged in the reign of Richard I. In 1259, it was conveyed by Isolda de Cardinham to Oliver de Dinan, in whose posterity it continued for several generations. 3

Early History of the Denion family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Denion research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1295, 1320, 1433, 1460, 1486, 1501, 1765 and 1784 are included under the topic Early Denion History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Denion Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Denion has been spelled many different ways, including Dynham, Dinan, Dinham, Dinat, Dyneham and others.

Early Notables of the Denion family

Distinguished members of the family include Sir John Dynham, 1st Baron Dynham, (c. 1433-1501) was made High Sheriff of Devon and Lord Chancellor of Ireland in 1460, Lord High Treasurer of England in 1486, an English peer and politician, served as councillor to Edward IV, Richard III and Henry VII. Charles Dignum, son of a master tailor, was born at Rotherhithe in 1765. His father, being a Roman Catholic, placed him when a boy in the choir of the Sardinian ambassador's chapel in Duke Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, where his fine voice attracted the attention of Samuel Webbe, the glee composer...
Another 131 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Denion Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Denion migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Denions to arrive in North America:

Denion Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Denion, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1791 4


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. 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)
  3. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
  4. 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)


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