Jerret History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Jerret

What does the name Jerret mean?

The ancestors of the Jerret family arrived in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Jerret came from the given name Gerard. 1

Early Origins of the Jerret family

The surname Jerret was first found in Shropshire where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Jerret family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jerret research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1086 is included under the topic Early Jerret History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jerret Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Jarret, Jarratt, Jarrett, Jarrott and others.

Early Notables of the Jerret family

More information is included under the topic Early Jerret Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jerret migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Jerret or a variant listed above:

Jerret Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Andre Jerret, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1794 2

Sources +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)