Resun History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Resun

What does the name Resun mean?

The Resun surname comes from the Middle English, Old French word "raison," meaning "the power of reason;" as such it was most likely originally a nickname for an intelligent person.

Early Origins of the Resun family

The surname Resun was first found in Lincolnshire where they held a family seat at Market, Middle and West Rasen which were held by Bishop Odo of Bayeux. The under tenant holding from the Bishop was Alfred of Lincoln, a Norman noble and, conjecturally, the Reason family are descended from him. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year 1202 when Robert de Rasene held estates in Lincolnshire.

Early History of the Resun family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Resun research. Another 113 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Resun History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Resun 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 Reason, Rasen, Rason, Rayson, Reson, Reasons, Resons, Reeson, Resen, Resun, Raysun, Rasne and many more.

Early Notables of the Resun family

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

Migration of the Resun family

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 Resun name or one of its variants: Ralph Reason, who came to St. Christopher in 1635; James Reason, who arrived in Bermuda 1635; Henry Reason, who came to Virginia in 1635; Barbarie Reason, who arrived in Barbados in 1635.