Readmand History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
England

The Strongbownian invaders added their Norman conventions for surnames to the previously established Irish system for hereditary surnames. One of the most frequent forms of surnames for both cultures was the patronymic surname, which was formed from the name of the bearer's father or grandfather. The Norman tradition that the followers of Strongbow brought with them created such a surname through diminutive suffixes such as -ot, -et, -un, -in, or -el. Occasionally, two suffixes were combined to form a double diminutive, as in the combinations of -el-in, -el-ot, -in-ot, and -et-in. The Normans also formed patronymic surnames in a manner very similar to the Irish: they added a prefix to their father's name. These Anglo-Norman people, however, used the prefix Fitz-, which was derived from the French word fils, and ultimately from the Latin filius, which both mean son. Although this prefix probably originated in Flanders or Normandy, it can now only be found in Ireland. The surname Readmand is derived from the personal name Raymond, which is derived from the Old French forenames Raimund and Raimond. These are derived from the Old German personal name Raginmund, which literally means counsel-army or might-army. The Gaelic form of the surname Readmand is Réamonn.

Early Origins of the Readmand family

The surname Readmand was first found in County Wexford (Irish: Loch Garman), founded by Vikings as Waesfjord, and located in Southeastern Ireland, in the province of Leinster. Alexander Redmond, the first of this family who bore the surname was of the same stock as the Earl of Pembroke whom he accompanied to Ireland in 1170. 1

While generally known today as an Irish family, we must take moment to explore the branch of the family that stayed in England, specifically at Yealand-Redmayne in Lancashire. " Anciently, Yealand-Conyers and Yealand-Redmayne appear to have formed one district. In the Testa de Neville it is stated, that 'Mathew de Redeman and Robert de Kemyers, or Cynyers, held the eighth part of a knight's fee in Yeland, of the fee of William de Lancaster, the king's tenant in chief;' hence the origin of the additions to the name. The Conyers and Redmayne families were long connected with Yealand." 2 3

Early History of the Readmand family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Readmand research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1415, 1426, 1499, 1505, 1541, 1546, 1551, 1570, 1594, 1602 and 1691 are included under the topic Early Readmand History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Readmand Spelling Variations

Church officials and medieval scribes often spelled early surnames as they sounded. This practice often resulted in many spelling variations of even a single name. Early versions of the name Readmand included: Redmond, Reddman, Reddmon, Redman, Reddan, Redmon, Redmand, Readmond, Redmaynd, Redmayne, Reddmayne, Redmane, Reddmane, Reddane, Redmoyne, Redmoynd, Redmain, Redmaine, Redmoine, Reddmyne, Redmyn, Reddmin, Redmin, Redmind and many more.

Early Notables of the Readmand family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was Chevalier Gabriel Redmond who fought with distinction with the Irish Brigade in France; Dr John Redman (1499-1551), English churchman and academic, the first Master of Trinity College, Cambridge (1546-1551); Sir Richard Redman (or Redmayne) (died 1426), British...
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Readmand Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Readmand family

In the mid-19th century, Ireland experienced one of the worst periods in its entire history. During this decade in order to ease the pressure of the soil, which was actually depleted by the effects of the previous years' grain crops, landowners forced tenant farmers and peasants onto tiny plots of land that barely provided the basic sustenance a family required. Conditions were worsened, though, by the population of the country, which was growing fast to roughly eight million. So when the Great Potato Famine of the mid-1840s hit, starvation and diseases decimated the population. Thousands of Irish families left the country for British North America and the United States. The new immigrants were often accommodated either in the opening western frontiers or as cheap unskilled labor in the established centers. In early passenger and immigration lists there are many immigrants bearing the name Readmand: Thomas Redman settled in Barbados in 1635; William Redman settled in Virginia in 1636; Mary Redman settled in Virginia with her husband in 1652; Patrick Redmond settled with his wife Bridget and four children in New York State in 1804..

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)