Denmen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Denmen name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from 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 Denmen family

The surname Denmen 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 Denmen family

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

Denmen Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Denmen has undergone many spelling variations, including Denman, Dennam and others.

Early Notables of the Denmen family

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

Migration of the Denmen family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Denmen were among those contributors: 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 Denmen 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)