Denmane History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The history of the Denmane family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living 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 Denmane family

The surname Denmane 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 Denmane family

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

Denmane Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Denmane include Denman, Dennam and others.

Early Notables of the Denmane family

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

Migration of the Denmane family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Denmane or a variant listed above: 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 Denmane 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)