Ison History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The lineage of the name Ison begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It is a result of when they lived in the parish of Isham in the county of Northampton near Kettering. "The church is an ancient edifice with a tower, and contains four Norman arches, and a curious monument." 1

Early Origins of the Ison family

The surname Ison was first found in Northamptonshire at Isham, a Saxon village and civil parish that dates back to 974 when it was listed as Ysham. By the Domesday Book of 1086, the place name had evolved to the present spelling of Isham. 2 3

The place name literally means "homestead by the River Ise," having derived from the Celtic river-name + the Old English "ham" or "hamm." 4 The local church is an ancient edifice with a tower, and contains four Norman arches.

The earliest record of the family was found here "where an elder branch of the existing family, Isham of Lamport, were seated soon after the Conquest." 5

Later, Henry de Isham was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Northamptonshire in 1206. 6

Early History of the Ison family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ison research. Another 150 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1416, 1582, 1590, 1610, 1617, 1621, 1622, 1625, 1627, 1651, 1656, 1658, 1671, 1673, 1675, 1676, 1680, 1681, 1687, 1690, 1694, 1697, 1705, 1711, 1713, 1726, 1730, 1737, 1755 and 1772 are included under the topic Early Ison History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ison Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Ison has undergone many spelling variations, including Isham, Ison, Isom, Ipsam and others.

Early Notables of the Ison family

Distinguished members of the family include Gregory Isham of Orlingbury; John Isham (1582-1651), High Sheriff of Northamptonshire, created Baronet Isham of Lamport on 30 May 1627; Sir Justinian Isham (1610-1675), 2nd Baronet Isham, English scholar and royalist politician, who was a Member of Parliament; Sir Thomas Isham II (1656-1681), 3rd Baronet of Lamport, best known for his diary which he wrote from 1671-1673 of his observations as a teenage member of the English aristocracy; Sir Justinian Isham II (1658-1730), 4th Baronet of Lamport, Member of Parliament; Sir Justinian Isham (1687-1737), 5th Baronet of Lamport; Sir Edmund Isham (1690-1772), 6th Baronet of...
Another 136 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ison Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ison Ranking

In the United States, the name Ison is the 3,051^st most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 7

Ison migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Ison were among those contributors:

Ison Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Edward Ison, aged 20, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Transport" 8
Nicholas Ison, who landed in Virginia in 1638 8
Edward Ison, who arrived in Virginia in 1642 8

Ison migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Ison Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

William Ison, aged 26, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1850 aboard the ship "Sultana" 9
William Ison, aged 26, a labourer, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Sultana" in 1850 9
Elizabeth Ison, aged 19, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Sultana" in 1850 9

Contemporary Notables of the name Ison (post 1700) +

Sheila Ison Wellstone (1944-2002), American advocate for human rights, the environment, and peace, founder of the Sheila Wellstone Institute
Wayne Ison, American aircraft designer, known for his Airbike, Mini-MAX, Hi-MAX and PDQ-2
Tara Ison, American novelist, short story writer, and essayist
The Very Rev David John Ison (b. 1954), English clergyman, Dean of St Paul's, London (2012-), former Dean of Bradford (2004-2012)
Sheila Ison Wellstone (1944-2002), American advocate for human rights, the environment, and peace, founder of the Sheila Wellstone Institute

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SULTANA 1850. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Sultana.htm