Perryns History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the Perryns family arrived in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Perryns came from the ancient given name Peter which anciently meant rock or stone. "The Counts du Perrin held large possessions in the district of Nosiere, in France, but being Huguenots, the family were compelled to quit their native land, in the earlier part of the XVIII. century, and they settled in Lisburn, in Ireland. Several members of the family have distinguished themselves at the Irish bar, and one is well known as the author of an excellent grammar of his ancestral language. " 1

Early Origins of the Perryns family

The surname Perryns was first found in Northumberland where Perrinus uadletus (Latin form) was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1207. John Pirun was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1166 and Geoffrey Perrun was listed as a Knights Templar in Lincolnshire in 1185. A few years later, Henry Piron was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1194 in Oxfordshire. 2

Further to the south in Cornwall, the parish of Perran-Zabuloe is of interest to us. "St. Piran, the supposed patron of the tinners, the performer of miracles, the solitary hermit, and the Bishop of Cornwall took up his abode. 'Piran,' according to Leland, 'was born in Ireland within the province of Ostrige. Domuel was his father, and Wingela his mother. Piran was the disciple of St. Patrick. Piran came into Britain, died and was buried in Britain; and Wingela the mother of Piran inhabited in a place near her son with holy virgins.' At a period subsequent to the Norman Conquest, this manor is said to have belonged to a family called St. Piran, but whether related to the ancient saint is very uncertain." 3

Early History of the Perryns family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Perryns research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1553, 1558, 1642, 1665 and 1719 are included under the topic Early Perryns History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Perryns Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Perryns are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Perryns include Perrin, Perren, Perrine, Peren, Perring, Perrins and others.

Early Notables of the Perryns family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was William Peryn (died 1558), Dominican, who was probably connected with the Perins of Shropshire, prior of the Dominican house of St. Bartholomew in Smithfield...
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Perryns Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Perryns migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Perryns, or a variant listed above:

Perryns Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Samuel Perryns, who arrived in Virginia in 1702 4

The Perryns 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: Impavidun feriunt ruinae
Motto Translation: Danger shall strike me unappalled.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
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)