| ![Show Contents]() Flesh History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
England
Etymology of FleshWhat does the name Flesh mean? The name Flesh is an occupational name for someone who was a 'the flaxman,' a dresser of flax, derived from the Middle English, flax and the Anglo-Saxon fleax. 1 "Flaxman is a trade name that denotes a dealer in flax, flaxseed oil, or hemp. Or it may refer to the color of a person's hair. In old authors "flax-wife" signifies a female spinner who is married, probably to distinguish her from the spinster, or maiden of the distaff. One of the family is described as "Johannem Spoundel dictum Flexmangere," or fiax-monger, and twenty years later this person, or a descendant, is simply described as 'Johannes Flexman.'" 2 Early Origins of the Flesh familyThe surname Flesh was first found in Huntingdonshire where in the year 1279 William Flexman held estates in that shire. A few years later, Richard le flexmongere was laos listed there in 1294. In Norfolk, Nicholas Flaxman was listed as holding lands there in 1332. 3 The source Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III includes entries for Ralph le Flexman and John Flexmon, Gloucestershire, 20 Edward I (during the twentieth year of King Edard I's reign.) 1 Early History of the Flesh familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Flesh research. Another 107 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1205, 1327, 1332, 1562, 1582, 1663 and 1706 are included under the topic Early Flesh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Flesh Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Flesh are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Flesh include: Flaxman, Flexman, Flashman, Flachman, Fleshman, Flesh and many more. Early Notables of the Flesh familyMore information is included under the topic Early Flesh Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Flesh familyMany English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Flesh or a variant listed above: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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