Monypeny History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Monypeny

What does the name Monypeny mean?

The history of the Monypeny family name begins after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Fife. Moneypenny is a compound name composed of two elements, the Old English moning, meaning money, and the Old English pening, meaning penny. Moneypenny originated as a nickname to identify a rich man or may have been ironically used to describe a poor man. Another derivation, which is equally valid in certain cases, indicates that Moneypenny is a local name adapted from the place called Magnepeigne in Normandy.

Early Origins of the Monypeny family

The surname Monypeny was first found in Fife where they were granted lands by the King of Scotland.

Early History of the Monypeny family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Monypeny research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1180, 1200, 1296, 1450, 1617 and 1620 are included under the topic Early Monypeny History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Monypeny Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Moneypenny, Manypenny, Monypenny and others.

Early Notables of the Monypeny family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Monypeny Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Monypeny migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Monypeny name or one of its variants:

Monypeny Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

W E Monypeny, who arrived in America in 1881 1

The Monypeny 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: Imperat aequor
Motto Translation: He rules the sea.

Sources +

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)