Contents [hide]

Denison History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Denison History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Scotland
Ireland

The Denison surname is a patronymic, created from the personal name Dennis; thus the name originally meant "son of Dennis." Dennis comes ultimately from the Latin Dionysius.

Early Origins of the Denison family

The surname Denison was first found in Yorkshire where the first record of the name was found in 1212. Richard Dionys of Yorkshire, was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379. 1

Some were found at the chapelry of Speeton in the East Riding of Yorkshire. "This township, which belongs to W. J. Denison, Esq., comprises about 1820 acres of land, and commands a beautiful view of the shore from Scarborough to Flamborough Head: the village is situated on an eminence north-east of the road from Bridlington to Scarborough." 2

However, there is much dispute over the origin of the name. Some claim the name was derived from the Scottish Dennistouns. 3 Yet the author admits that name was also found in Norfolk and Suffolk in early times too. Thomas Denison, one of the Society of Merchant Adventurers, was buried in Leeds parish church in 1708.

Early History of the Denison family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Denison research. Another 70 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1275, 1381, 1590, 1629, 1694, 1714, 1782 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Denison History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Denison Spelling Variations

In the Middle ages, spelling and translation were not yet regulated by any general rules. spelling variations in names were common even among members of one family unit. Denison has appeared Dennison, Denison, Denson, Dennistoun, Dennistown, Dennisone and many more.

Early Notables of the Denison family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

John Denison (d. 1629), English divine who became a student in Balliol College, Oxford, in 1590, and graduated in arts and subsequently in divinity. 4
William Denison (1714-1782), was a successful wool merchant, who held Beswick and Rimswell in Yorkshire, among many estates

Denison Ranking

In the United States, the name Denison is the 5,587^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Denison family to Ireland

Some of the Denison family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Denison migration to the United States +

Faced by this persecution and the generally unstable political climate of those days, many Scots chose to leave their homeland for Ireland, Australia, and North America in search of greater opportunity and freedom. The colonies across the Atlantic were the most popular choice, but a passage there was neither cheap nor easily suffered. Passengers arrived sick and poor, but those who made it intact often found land and more tolerant societies in which to live. These brave settlers formed the backbone of the burgeoning nations of Canada and the United States. It is only this century that the ancestors of these families have begun to recover their collective identity through the patriotic highland games and Clan societies that have sprung up throughout North America. Research into early immigration and passenger lists revealed many immigrants bearing the name Denison:

Denison Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Edward Denison, aged 22, who landed in Virginia in 1622 aboard the ship "Truelove" 6
William Denison, his wife Margaret, and their three sons, who settled in Massachusetts in 1631
William Denison, who landed in Massachusetts in 1631 6
Margaret Denison, who landed in Massachusetts in 1632 6
John Denison, who arrived in Ipswich, Massachusetts in 1648 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Denison Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Catherine Denison, who settled in Maryland in 1735

Denison Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Denison, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1838 6

Denison migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Denison Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Ann Denison, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1760

Denison 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:

Denison Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

John Denison, aged 22, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Seringapatam" in 1856

Contemporary Notables of the name Denison (post 1700) +

Edward Fulton Denison (1915-1992), American economist
Edward E. Denison (1873-1953), American congressman
Ellery Denison (1900-1989), American philatelist who specialized in the postage stamps and postal history of China
Daniel Denison, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly, 1836-37, 1851 7
Charles Denison (1818-1867), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 12th District, 1863-67; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1864 7
Charles Denison, American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Suffield, 1826 7
Charles Denison, American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from New Haven, 1820 7
C. Lyman Denison, American politician, Mayor of Belleville, New Jersey, 1911-13 7
Andrew W. Denison, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Maryland, 1868; Postmaster at Baltimore, Maryland, 1869-77 7
Andrew Denison, American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Suffield, 1822-23, 1828; Member of Connecticut State Senate 2nd District, 1831-32 7
... (Another 33 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Denison 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: Adversa virtute repello
Motto Translation: I repel adversity by virtue.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html