Enis Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available: English, Irish

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The Enis history begins in Cornwall, a rugged coastal region in southwestern England. Quite distinct from Devon, the adjoining county, Cornwall had its own spoken language until the late 18th century. The Enis history began here. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames were derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used local surnames. The Enis family originally lived in Cornwall, at the village of Ennis. The place-name is Gaelic in origin, and derives from an Anglicization of the personal name Angus.

Enis Early Origins

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The surname Enis was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Enis Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and 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 of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Ennis, Ennys, Enys, Eynes and others.

Enis Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Enis research. Another 247 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1312, 1620, 1651, 1611, 1697, 1660 and are included under the topic Early Enis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Enis Early Notables (pre 1700)

Another 22 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Enis Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Enis In Ireland

Some of the Enis family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 226 words (16 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Enis or a variant listed above: James Ennis made his home in Virginia in 1650. Alexander Ennis purchased land outside of Boston and with his family settled there in 1651. Timothy Ennys made the earliest crossing when he landed in Barbados in 1635. Later members of the Ennis name were to enter New York State and Massachusetts by the early 1800's..

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: Virtute et valore
Motto Translation: By virtue and valour.

Enis Family Crest Products

Citations

Other References

Colletta, John P. They Came In Ships. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1993. Print.
Crispin, M. Jackson and Leonce Mary. Falaise Roll Recording Prominent Companions of William Duke of Normandy at the Conquest of England. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
Mills, A.D. Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4).
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin . Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8).
Hitching, F.K and S. Hitching. References to English Surnames in 1601-1602. Walton On Thames: 1910. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0181-3).
Bardsley, C.W. A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6).
Matthews, John. Matthews' American Armoury and Blue Book. London: John Matthews, 1911. Print.
Bede, The Venerable. Historia Ecclesiatica Gentis Anglorum (The Ecclesiastical History Of the English People). Available through Internet Medieval Sourcebook the Fordham University Centre for Medieval Studies. Print.
Egle, William Henry. Pennsylvania Genealogies Scotch-Irish and German. Harrisburg: L.S. Hart, 1886. Print.
Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8).
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The Enis Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Enis Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 15 March 2017 at 12:38.