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![Show Contents]() Gemmet History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
It was among those Anglo-Saxon tribes that once ruled over Britain that the name Gemmet was formed. The name was derived from the baptismal name John or Joan. The surname Gemmet referred to the son of John or Joan which belongs to the category of patronymic or metronymic surnames. In Old English, patronyms and matronyms were formed by adding a variety of suffixes to personal names, which changed over time and from place to place. For example, after the Norman Conquest, sunu and sune, which meant son, were the most common patronymic suffixes. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the most common patronymic names included the word filius, which meant son. By the 14th century, the suffix son had replaced these earlier versions. Surnames that were formed with filius or son were more common in the north of England and it was here that the number of individuals without surnames was greatest at this time. Early Origins of the Gemmet familyThe surname Gemmet was first found in Yorkshire where Willelmus filius Jonet was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1297. A few years later, again in Yorkshire Jonot (surname only) was listed in 1308 and later again, Robert and Simon Janot were listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327. 1 Early History of the Gemmet familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gemmet research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1356, 1596, 1649, 1650, 1661 and 1678 are included under the topic Early Gemmet History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Gemmet Spelling VariationsUntil the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Gemmet include Jennet, Jennett, Jonnott, Jonnot, Jonnotson and others. Early Notables of the Gemmet familyNotables of the family at this time include William Jemmat (1596?-1678), English Puritan divine, born about 1596, and a "descendant of a well-to-do family settled at Reading, Berkshire, was, according to Wood, the son of a former mayor of the town. No Jemmat, however, appears as mayor...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gemmet Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Gemmet familyThousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Gemmet were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: John Jennet settled in Pennsylvania in 1682; Peter Jennett arrived in Maryland in 1776.
- 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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