Meadus Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Meadus surname lived in or near a meadow. The surname Meadus is derived from the Old English words mæd and mædwe, which both mean meadow. The surname Meadus belongs to the class of topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees.

Meadus Early Origins

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The surname Meadus was first found in Suffolk at Witnesham, a parish, in the union of Woodbridge, hundred of Carlford. "The family of Meadows, from a branch of which the present Earl Manvers is descended, have had a seat here since the time of Richard III."

Meadus Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Meadus are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Meadus include: Meadowes, Meadows, Meadow, Meddows, Meddus, Meadus, Medus, Medis and many more.

Meadus Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Meadus research. Another 179 words (13 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Meadus History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Meadus Early Notables (pre 1700)

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

Meadus In Ireland

Some of the Meadus family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 47 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Meadus Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Edmund Meadus of Poole, Dorset, settled in Newfoundland in the 1830's ^[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0

Contemporary Notables of the name Meadus (post 1700)

Eric Meadus (1931-1970), English artist; he exhibited in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition (1971), Southampton City Art Gallery (1996), Tudor House Museum, Southampton (1999)

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: Mea dos virtus
Motto Translation: Virtue is my dower.

Meadus Family Crest Products

Citations

^ Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
^ Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0

Other References

Browning, Charles H. Americans of Royal Descent. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
Colletta, John P. They Came In Ships. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1993. Print.
Burke, John Bernard Ed. The Roll of Battle Abbey. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X).
Shirley, Evelyn Philip. Noble and Gentle Men of England Or Notes Touching The Arms and Descendants of the Ancient Knightley and Gentle Houses of England Arranged in their Respective Counties 3rd Edition. Westminster: John Bowyer Nichols and Sons, 1866. Print.
Hitching, F.K and S. Hitching. References to English Surnames in 1601-1602. Walton On Thames: 1910. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0181-3).
Bardsley, C.W. A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6).
Bede, The Venerable. Historia Ecclesiatica Gentis Anglorum (The Ecclesiastical History Of the English People). Available through Internet Medieval Sourcebook the Fordham University Centre for Medieval Studies. Print.
Crozier, William Armstrong Edition. Crozier's General Armory A Registry of American Families Entitled to Coat Armor. New York: Fox, Duffield, 1904. Print.
Best, Hugh. Debrett's Texas Peerage. New York: Coward-McCann, 1983. Print. (ISBN 069811244X).
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The Meadus Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Meadus Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 17 March 2016 at 08:18.