Mansen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

Viking settlers in ancient Scotland were the ancestors of the first people to use the name Mansen. It comes from the personal name Magnus, which is derived from the Latin word magnus, which means great. This name was popular among the Norsemen and was borrowed in honor of Charlemagne, who was known as Carolus Magnus in Latin. 1 2

Early Origins of the Mansen family

The surname Mansen was first found in Caithness (Gaelic: Gallaibh), the northern tip of Scotland, and in Shetland. The name has evolved from the name Magnusson, as in "son of Magnus."

"Magnus (Latin, 'great') was a popular name among the Norsemen and was borrowed by them in admiration of Charlemagne (in Latin, Carolus Magnus). "It is worth remembering," says Dr. Alexander Bugge, "that long before the birth of Magnus the Good the name Magnus was used among Norse kings of Man and the Hebrides. The first persons who bear this name are Magnus mac Arailt, a chieftain from the Hebrides, in 972, and Magnus Berna (i. e. Magnus son of Bjorn) from Limerick, who probably was akin to the chieftains from the Hebrides. When Sighvat Skald named the new-born son of St. Olav Magnus after Charlemagne, it was probably not his own invention. He had most likely heard the name in the British Isles, and knew that it was derived from the great Emperor." 3

Over the years, a wide variety of spellings were in use by the family: "Jonas filius Magni was one of those who laid charges againSt David Meyner of Weem in 1427. Angus Mangson in Kirkwall in 1446 appears again in 1455 as Anguss Magniss, bailie of Kyrkwaw. David Manson was tenant of Petconnouchty, Ardmanoch, in 1504, Thomas Mainsoun appears in Dunrossness, Shetland, in 1602, Robert Mansone was burgess of Dornoch, 1669, and John Mansone, 'dene of gild, ' and three other Mansones took the Test in the burgh of Tain in 1685. 3

The Manston, Mainston and Mainstone variants are presumably derived from the same source. Manston is a small parish in Dorset. 4 5 This parish dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was first recorded as Manestone. 6 Manston can also be found in Kent where it was known as Manneston in 1254. Both places literally mean "farmstead of a man called Mann," from the Old English personal name + "tun." 7

Early History of the Mansen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mansen research. Another 208 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1000, 1490, 1524, 1567, 1568, 1569, 1574, 1582, 1602, 1620, 1625, 1674, 1677, 1726, 1732, 1752, 1765, 1766, 1792, 1825, 1836, 1850, 1860 and 1876 are included under the topic Early Mansen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mansen Spelling Variations

Translation and spelling were non-standardized practices in the Middle Ages, so scribes had only their ears to rely on. This was a practice of extremely limited efficiency, and spelling variations in names, even within a single document, were the result. Over the years, Mansen has appeared Manson, Manseon, Mansson, Mainson, Monson, Mansoun, Magnuson and many more.

Early Notables of the Mansen family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was Thomas Manton (1620-1677), an English Puritan clergyman, clerk to the Westminster Assembly and a chaplain to Oliver Cromwell.David Manson (1726-1792), school-master, son of John Manson and Agnes Jamieson, was probably born in the parish of Cairncastle, co. Antrim, in 1726. His parents being poor, he began life as a farmer's servantboy, but was allowed by his employer to attend a school kept by the Rev. Robert White in the neighbouring town of Lame. There he made such good progress that in a short time he himself opened a school in his native parish...
Another 255 words (18 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mansen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mansen migration to the United States +

The fertile east coast of what would become US and Canada was soon dotted with the farms of Scottish settlers. Some of them remained faithful to the crown and called themselves United Empire Loyalists, while others had the chance to pay back their old oppressors in the American War of Independence. That brave spirit lives on today in the highland games that dot North America in the summer. Passenger and immigration lists indicate that members of the Mansen family came to North America quite early:

Mansen Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Peter Mansen, who landed in Maryland in 1678 8

Mansen migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Mansen Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Arthur Mansen, (b. 1847), aged 15, Scottish farm labourer, from Zetland (Shetland) travelling from London aboard the ship "Queen of Mersey" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 20th October 1862 9

Contemporary Notables of the name Mansen (post 1700) +

James W. Mansen, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for New York State Assembly from Kings County 12th District, 1900, 1903; Prohibition Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 6th District, 1910 10

The Mansen Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Meae menor originis
Motto Translation: Mindful of my origin.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html