Dinnes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Dinnes is one of the many names that the Normans brought with them when they conquered England in 1066. The Dinnes family lived in Surrey. However, there is no agreed upon origin for this name, so we will take a moment to explore the various qualified sources and summarize their thoughts.

Reaney postulates the name was perhaps from Old French word "digne" or "dein," meaning "worthy or honorable." He also postulated that the name could have been from "digne," meaning "haughty, reserved." 1

Charnock notes the name could be from "De Dine, and it is probably derived from locality; perhaps from Digne (Dinia), a walled town of France." 2

Mark Antony Lower notes the name was "Anciently Dine. Might come from the French digne, worthy. There is a statement, however, I know not of what authority, that the family were identical with the Dyves, who came into England from Normandy with the Conqueror." 3

Harrison believes the name was from "the French Dion, an abbrev. of Latin Dionys(i)us." 4

Bardsley believes the name was related to "a geographical locality, 'at the dane' or 'dean' " or perhaps 'at the Dene' 5

Burke weighs in thusly and adds other authority's thoughts: "An alteration in Domesday Book itself from de Dingy to Dive has led to the future confusion as to this name. Sir F. Palgrave, in his work on public records, describing Henry de Dyne, temp. Henry III., says, this name is sometimes written de Dive, and Dugdale uses the two indiscriminately. This family were actively engaged in the contests of the barons with Kings John and Henry III.; and at the final subjection of the latter, Windsor Castle and Forest were committed to Hugo de-Dyne. They have held grants downwards from the conquest, one of them to Robereus dyns, by King Stephen, continued to them to the time of Cromwell's rebellion, when, in the hands of Sir Louis de Dyve, half-brother to Lord Digby, secretary of state to Charles I., it was confiscated by the parliament. " 6

Early Origins of the Dinnes family

The surname Dinnes was first found in Surrey where Robert le Dine was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1201. A few years later, again in Surrey, Richard le Digne was found in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1222 and later again, Gilbert le Dyne, Dynes was found in Yorkshire in 1275 and 1284. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcester included a listing for Nicholas Dain in 1275. 1

"The family, however, still surviving as holders of estates in Kent and Sussex, were allowed the hereditary arms during the rebellion in the name of Dyne or Dyve de Battersden, Kent, and had the same confirmed to them when scrutiny after the restoration of the Sussex visitation, 1662. The name is now represented in Kent by F. Bradley Dyne, Esq., of Gore Court, who still holds lands at Bethersden. The Sussex property passed to the Briscoes now of Coghurst, the grandfather of the present Musgrave Briscoe, Esq., having married the daughter and heiress of Edward Dyne, Esq., of Coghurst, Sussex." 6

Early History of the Dinnes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dinnes research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1352, 1377, 1383, 1397, 1412, 1413, 1414, 1768, 1772, 1779, 1784 and 1788 are included under the topic Early Dinnes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dinnes Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Dyne, Dine, Dives, Dynne, Dinne, Dyves, Dyon and others.

Early Notables of the Dinnes family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Nicholas Dyne (fl. 1352) of East Grinstead; John Dyne I (died 1412/1413), who owned land in the Kentish hundreds of Hayne, an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Hythe (1377-1397); and his son, John Dyne II (fl. 1383-1414), an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Hythe (1383-1414); and Sir John Dyne.John Dyne was a a distinguished alto...
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dinnes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dinnes migration to Canada +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Dinnes name or one of its variants:

Dinnes Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Fedor Dinnes, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1899

Contemporary Notables of the name Dinnes (post 1700) +

Martin R. Dinnes, American veterinarian from Agua Dulce, California, founder of Dinnes Memorial Veterinary Hospital of Santa Clarita, California

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. 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)
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.