Drow History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Drow is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Drow family lived in Wiltshire. The surname descends from Herman de Drewes, whose name translates literally as from Drewes.

Early Origins of the Drow family

The surname Drow was first found in Wiltshire where Amalric de Drewes held lands as listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. 1 However, there is an earlier listing of Wado de Dreux living in 1050 but at an unknown location. 2 The Anglo-Norman name claims descend from Dreux, which lies near the boundary between Normandy and the Île-de-France. The Counts of Dreux were a noble family of France, who took their title from the château of Dreux. Robert I of Dreux, the fifth son of Louis VI of France, nicknamed the Great (c.1123-1188) married Hawise of Salisbury (1118-1152), daughter of Walter Fitz Edward of Salisbury, Sheriff of Wiltshire.

Early History of the Drow family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Drow research. Another 163 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1203, 1316, 1519, 1542, 1557, 1598, 1610 and 1631 are included under the topic Early Drow History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Drow Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Drew, Drewe, Drywe and others.

Early Notables of the Drow family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Edward Drew (1542?-1598), recorder of London, eldest son of Thomas Drew (b. 1519), by his wife Eleanora, daughter of William Huckmore of the county of Devon, appears to have been born at the family seat of Sharpham, in the parish of Ashprington, near Totnes, and spent some time at the university. "An entry in the...
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Drow Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Drow family to Ireland

Some of the Drow family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Drow family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Drow or a variant listed above: Edward Drewe who was on record in Virginia in 1618, two years before the "Mayflower"; Edward Drew, who arrived in Virginia in 1623; John Drew, who came to Virginia in 1642.

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)