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![Show Contents]() Geeames History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Geeames is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest of 1066 brought to England. It comes from the personal name Jacob, the Latin Jacobus via the Late Latin Jacomus. The Latin Jacobus is derived from the Hebrew name Yaakov which is traditionally interpreted as coming from the Hebrew akev, which means heel. [1] "The first appearance of this Christian name in our annals is in the Domesday [Book]." [2] James the Cistercian (fl. 1270), also called James the Englishman, "was the first professor of philosophy and theology in the college which Stephen Lexington, Abbot of Clairvaux, founded in the house of the counts of Champagne at Paris for the instruction of young Cistercians. " [3] Early Origins of the Geeames familyThe surname Geeames was first found in Surrey. At an early time the name migrated from Normandy under the name FitzJames, as one of the noble house of Normandy. In nearby Utrecht the name became Van Haestrecht, whence it became FitzJames again, having migrated from Utrecht into England, into the manor of Ightham, at the time of King John, about the year 1210 A.D. They acquired the manors and estates of Hamon de Cravignuier, from De Inge, Zouch of Harringworth, Read, and Willoughby, and thence to the noble house of James. "In early documents the name is usually Jacobus, but James is occasionally found in the 12th and 13th centuries, sometimes alternating with Jack or its diminutives Jackamin, Jackett and Jacklin." [4] "The principal home of this name is in South Wales and Monmouthshire. Lower tells us of a very ancient Pembroke family possessing an estate successively held by thirteen persons bearing the name of William James. [2] The name is also frequent in Shropshire and Herefordshire on the Welsh border, and in the neighbouring counties of Gloucester and Stafford. It is also numerous in the south - west of England, especially in Somerset, Dorset, and Cornwall. In the eastern counties it nearly disappears, but it reappears in the north, though in no great numbers. " [5] Early History of the Geeames familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Geeames research. Another 117 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1592, 1638, 1592, 1573, 1629, 1573, 1593, 1635, 1619, 1593, 1542, 1617, 1542, 1610, 1681, 1653, 1661, 1661, 1620, 1700, 1661, 1679, 1689, 1690, 1619, 1670, 1654, 1656, 1624, 1705, 1659, 1626, 1685, 1659, 1673, 1702, 1644 and 1719 are included under the topic Early Geeames History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Geeames Spelling VariationsAnglo-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 James, Fitzjames, St. James, Jaimes, Geames and many more. Early Notables of the Geeames family (pre 1700)Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Richard James (1592-1638), English scholar, born at Newport in the Isle of Wight in 1592, the third son of Andrew James of that town, by his wife Dorothy, daughter of Philip Poore of Durrington, Wiltshire. [3]
Thomas James (1573?-1629), was Bodley's librarian, uncle of Richard James [q. v.], was born about 1573 at Newport, Isle of Wight. [3]
Thomas James (1593?-1635?), was a navigator, a kinsman, it is believed, of Thomas James (d. 1619), alderman and twice mayor of Bristol, was born about 1593. [3]
William James (1542-1617), was Bishop of Durham, the second son of...
Another 257 words (18 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Geeames Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Geeames family to Ireland
Some of the Geeames 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 Geeames familyBecause 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 Geeames name or one of its variants: Edmund James, who settled in Salem Massachusetts in 1630; Blanch James, a servant sent to Barbados in 1658; David James, who came to Nevis in 1661; Abel James, who arrived in Maryland in 1670.
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: J'aime à jamais
Motto Translation: I love forever.
- Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
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England
Ireland
