The illustrious surname Glynes finds its origin in the rocky, sea swept coastal area of southwestern
England known as
Cornwall. Although surnames were fairly widespread in medieval
England, people were originally known only by a single name. The process by which
hereditary surnames were adopted is extremely interesting. As populations grew, people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. Under the
Feudal System of government, surnames evolved and they often reflected life on the manor and in the field. Lords and their tenants often became known by the name of the
feudal territory they owned or lived on. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored
patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used
local surnames. This was due to the heavy political and cultural influence of the English upon the
Cornish People at the time that surnames first came into use.
Local surnames were derived from where a person lived, held land, or was born. While many Cornish surnames of this sort appear to be topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees, many are actually habitation surnames derived from lost or unrecorded place names. The name Glynes is a local type of surname and the Glynes family lived
the son of Gerard. The surname Glynes was originally derived from the Old German
Gerhard which meant
spear-brave. In Old English, patronyms 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 versons. 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 Glynes family
The surname Glynes was first found in
Cornwall, where the Glynes family held a
family seat from very ancient times. The name was first recorded in 1100, when Hubert de Glin was living in the manor of Glynn near Bodmin, Cornwall.
Early History of the Glynes family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Glynes research.
Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1602, 1666, 1638, 1690, 1673, 1663, 1721, 1698, 1701, 1665, 1729 and 1606 are included under the topic Early Glynes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Glynes 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 Glynn, Glynne, Glinn, Glyn, Glin and others.
Early Notables of the Glynes family (pre 1700)
Notable amongst the family at this time was
Baron Wolverton; Sir John Glynne KS (1602-1666), a
Welsh lawyer, Lord Chief Justice of the Upper Bench; Sir William Glynne, 1st
Baronet (1638-1690), a Welsh...
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Glynes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Glynes family to Ireland
Some of the Glynes family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Glynes family to the New World and Oceana
An examination into the immigration and passenger lists has discovered a number of people bearing the name Glynes: Bryan Glynn, who settled in Virginia in 1635; as did Morris Glyn in 1653; Anne Glyn, who arrived in New
England in 1721; Henry Glyn, who came to Pennsylvania in 1753.