Sinnex History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The present generation of the Sinnex family is only the most recent to bear a name that dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name comes from having lived in an area that was defined by seven oak trees. Sinnex is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. During the Middle Ages, as society became more complex, individuals needed a way to be distinguishable from others. Toponymic surnames were developed as a result of this need. Various features in the landscape or area were used to distinguish people from one another. In this case the original bearers of the surname Sinnex were named due to their close proximity to the seven oakes.

Early Origins of the Sinnex family

The surname Sinnex was first found in Kent where they held a family seat at Seven-oaks, a market-town and parish, and the head of a union, in the hundred of Codsheath.

"This place, which in the Textus Roffensis is written Seovan Acca, is supposed to have derived its name from seven large oaks that stood upon the eminence on which the town is built. The free grammar school was founded and endowed in 1432, by Sir William Sevenoake, (1378?-1433?), usually written Sennocke, who, being deserted by his parents, was brought up by some charitable persons, and apprenticed to a grocer in London, from which station he rose to be lord mayor of that city, and its representative in parliament, leaving a portion of his wealth to found this school and an hospital for decayed elderly tradespeople. " 1

The variant Sinnock was "a corruption of Sevenoaks. " 2

Early History of the Sinnex family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sinnex research. Another 142 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1418, 1641, 1648, 1666, 1677, 1719, 1740 and 1765 are included under the topic Early Sinnex History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sinnex Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Sinnex include Snook, Snooks, Snukes, Sevenoak, Sevenoaks, Sevenoke, Sevenokes, Sinnox, Sinnocks, Sennocke, Sennox, Sevenocke, Sevenockes, Snooke, Snouk, Snouks, Sinnicks, Shinnicks, Shinnocks, Chennix and many more.

Early Notables of the Sinnex family

Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sinnex Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Sinnex family to Ireland

Some of the Sinnex family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 102 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sinnex migration to Canada +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Sinnex were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Sinnex Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

James Sinnex, who settled in Trinity, Newfoundland in 1788 3

Sinnex Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

James Sinnex was a planter of Trouty, Newfoundland in 1824 3

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0