Osmun Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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Osmun is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Osmun family lived in Dorset. The name, however, is a reference to Osmandville, on the River Bire in Bessin, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

Osmun Early Origins

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The surname Osmun was first found in Dorset at Melbury Osmond, a village and civil parish in the union of Beaminster, hundred of Yetminster that dates back to 1283 when it was first listed as Melebur Osmund. "Melbury" roughly means "multi-coloured fortified place" from the Old English "maele" + burh." Hence collectively the place name meant "fortified place of a man called Osmund." Little is known about the place name other than the parish church, St. Osmund's was thought to have been built before 1550. It was completely rebuilt in 1745.

Osmun Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Osmond, Osmund, Osmont, Osmonde, Osmand, Osman, Ozment and many more.

Osmun Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Osmun research. Another 196 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 155 and 1555 are included under the topic Early Osmun History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Osmun Early Notables (pre 1700)

Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Osmun Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Osmun In Ireland

Some of the Osmun family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 75 words (5 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

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Osmun or a variant listed above: Adam Osman, who immigrated to Virginia in 1623; John Osmond, who settled in Maryland in 1749; David Osmond, who came to Nova Scotia in 1793; Lewis Osmond, who settled in Philadelphia in 1793.

Contemporary Notables of the name Osmun (post 1700)

William E. Osmun (b. 1850), American Republican politician, Member of Michigan Republican State Central Committee, 1907; Delegate to Michigan State Constitutional Convention 23rd District, 1907-08 ^[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Gilbert R. Osmun (b. 1845), American Republican politician, Secretary of State of Michigan, 1887-90 ^[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html

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Citations

^ Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
^ The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html

Other References

Bradford, William. History of Plymouth Plantation 1620-1647 Edited by Samuel Eliot Morrison 2 Volumes. New York: Russell and Russell, 1968. Print.
Robb H. Amanda and Andrew Chesler. Encyclopedia of American Family Names. New York: Haper Collins, 1995. Print. (ISBN 0-06-270075-8).
Crozier, William Armstrong Edition. Crozier's General Armory A Registry of American Families Entitled to Coat Armor. New York: Fox, Duffield, 1904. Print.
Sanders, Joanne McRee Edition. English Settlers in Barbados 1637-1800. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
Matthews, John. Matthews' American Armoury and Blue Book. London: John Matthews, 1911. Print.
Weis, Frederick Lewis, Walter Lee Sheppard and David Faris. Ancestral Roots of Sixty Colonists Who Came to New England Between 1623 and 1650 7th Edition. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0806313676).
Humble, Richard. The Fall of Saxon England. New York: Barnes and Noble, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-88029-987-8).
Bowman, George Ernest. The Mayflower Reader A Selection of Articales from The Mayflower Descendent. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
Burke, John Bernard Ed. The Roll of Battle Abbey. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
Marcharn, Frederick George. A Constitutional History of Modern England 1485 to the Present. London: Harper and Brothers, 1960. Print.
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The Osmun Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Osmun 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 29 August 2016 at 14:17.