The rich and ancient history of the Jonnott family name dates back to the time of the
Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It comes from the baptismal name
John or Joan. The surname Jonnott 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 Jonnott family
The surname Jonnott was first found in
Sussex where they held a
family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the
Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.
Early History of the Jonnott family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jonnott research.
Another 133 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 135 and 1356 are included under the topic Early Jonnott History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Jonnott Spelling Variations
Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few
hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Jonnott have been found, including Jennet, Jennett, Jonnott, Jonnot, Jonnotson and others.
Early Notables of the Jonnott family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Jonnott Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Jonnott family to the New World and Oceana
Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in
England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in
England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Among the first immigrants of the name Jonnott, or a variant listed above to cross the Atlantic and come to North America were : John Jennet settled in Pennsylvania in 1682; Peter Jennett arrived in Maryland in 1776.