| Dils History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms Etymology of DilsWhat does the name Dils mean? The earliest origins of the name Dils date back to the time of the Anglo-Saxons. The name is derived from the baptismal name meaning the son of Dilk. The surname was originally of Dutch origin and was brought into England during the Norman Conquest of 1066. Baptismal names began to appear as surnames relatively late in the growth of the naming tradition. This is a little surprising, given the popularity of biblical figures in the Christian countries of Europe. Nevertheless, surnames derived from baptismal names grew in popularity during the Middle Ages, and have become one of the foremost sources for surnames. Early Origins of the Dils familyThe surname Dils was first found in Warwickshire. "Maxstoke Castle is the property of Capt. Thomas Dilke, R.N., a descendant of Sir Thomas Dilke, who purchased it in the 41st of Elizabeth from Sir Thomas Egerton, keeper of the great seal: the buildings occupy an irregular quadrilateral area, inclosed by an embattled wall, and defended at the angles by octagonal towers, and are in a fine state of preservation." 1 Other early records of the family include: Geoffrey Dylle who was in Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year's reign of Edward III), 2 and the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Alan Dille in Cambridgeshire and Robert Dille in Buckinghamshire. 3 Further to the north in Scotland, "Thomas dictus Dyll witnessed a charter by John Skinner, burgess of Inverness, c. 1360 and Marjorie dicta Dyll held land in Inuernys, 1361." 4 Early History of the Dils familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dils research. Another 48 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1624, 1633, 1635, 1667, 1692 and 1707 are included under the topic Early Dils History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Dils Spelling VariationsUntil 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 Dils include Dilke, Dilkes, Dilks, Dilley, Dill, Dillow and others. Early Notables of the Dils familyRoger Delk (Dilke, Delke, or Dilk) (died before 1635) English-born, representative for Stanley's Hundred in the House of Burgesses. He traveled from England to Virginia aboard the ship "Southampton" in 1624. He was indentured to John Chew and employed in 1624 on his plantation on Hog Island. He rose to represent the Stanley Hundred (Warwick) in the February 1633 session... Another 60 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dils Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Dils familySearching 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 Dils or a variant listed above: Clement and Mrs. Dilke who settled in Virginia in 1623; Mary Dilkill settled in New England in 1767; Lawrence Dill settled in Summers Island in 1673; Adam, Adolph, George, John, Margaret, Nancy Dill arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860..
| Contemporary Notables of the name Dils (post 1700) | + |
- Henry H. Dils, American politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates 1st District, 1869 5
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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