Duren History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Scotland

The distinguished surname Duren was first brought to England in the wake of the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name is patronymic in origin, signifying "the son of Durant," an Old French personal name. Looking at records from this time, we found Geoffry, Roger and Henry Durant who claimed descent from Normandy c. 1180-95 1 while another census in 1198, lists Aceline, Ralph, Richard, and Robert Durant. 2

Early Origins of the Duren family

The surname Duren was first found in Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and Shropshire at Tong, a parish, in the union of Shiffnall, Shiffnall division of the hundred of Brimstree. "Tong Castle, the seat of the family of Durant, a magnificent mansion remodelled in the last century, is crowned with numerous turrets, pinnacles, and eight lofty domes, producing a striking effect: it contains many valuable pictures and cabinets." 3

The Domesday Book of 1086 has the first record of the family. Durandus, the Latin form of the name in use at that time was registered in Winton, Hampshire as holding lands there at that time. 4

Another branch of the family were found at Wallingswells in the West Riding of Yorkshire. "In excavating near the house [of Sir Thomas Woolaston White], in 1829, several stone coffins were found, and amongst them that of Dame Margery Dourant, second abbess of the convent, who died in the reign of Richard I ([1189-1199)]." 3

And yet another branch of the family was found in Cornwall. "The manor of Lanestock, which is partly in the parish [of St. Austell], and partly in Tywardreath, has of late years passed under the same title as Trenance Austell. This was anciently in the family of Durant, from whom it passed into that of the Arundells of Trerice in Newlyn. The manor of Thorlebear [in the parish of Launcells, Cornwall] was formerly the property of the Durants, by whose heiress it was carried in marriage to the Arundells of Trerice." 5

Early History of the Duren family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Duren research. Another 111 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1140, 1296, 1564, 1578, 1631, 1644, 1660 and 1715 are included under the topic Early Duren History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Duren Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Durand, Durant, Durande, Durrane, Dant, Dante and many more.

Early Notables of the Duren family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Thomas Drant (d. 1578?), English divine and poet, born at Hagworthingham in Lincolnshire, son of Thomas Drant. "On the occasion of Queen Elizabeth's visit to the university in August 1564 he composed copies of English, Latin, and Greek verses, which he presented to her majesty. " 6 John Durnat...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Duren Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Duren Ranking

In the United States, the name Duren is the 9,456^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 7

Duren migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Duren or a variant listed above:

Duren Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Fra Duren, who settled in Georgia in 1733
Durst Duren, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1749

Duren Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

W. H. Duren, who settled in San Francisco in 1851
Erasmus Hubert Duren, aged 10, who arrived in Wisconsin in 1885 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Duren (post 1700) +

Clarence Edward Duren (b. 1950), former professional American NFL football player
Cristin Duren (b. 1981), American beauty queen from Panama City, Florida who has competed in the Miss Teen USA and Miss USA pageants
Rinold George "Ryne" Duren (b. 1929), American former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball from Cazenovia, Wisconsin
William Duren, American Republican politician, Mayor of Calais, Maine, 1872-75 9
Turner A. Duren, American politician, Mayor of Largo, Florida, 1914-15 9
Joanne M. Duren, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Wisconsin State Assembly 50th District; Elected 1974 9
B. Kwaku Duren, American politician, Representative from California, 1986, 1988, 1992 9

Citations +

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)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html