The name Syllymant is tied to the ancient
Anglo-Saxon culture of
England. It comes from the baptismal name
Soloman, which was an ancient
personal name. Baptismal names began to appear as surnames relatively late in the growth of the naming tradition. This is a little surprising, given the popularity of biblical figures in the Christian countries of Europe. Nevertheless, surnames derived from baptismal names grew in popularity during the Middle Ages, and have become one of the foremost sources for surnames. The surname Syllymant also has origins as a
nickname for a man who was considered to be wise or fortunate.
Early Origins of the Syllymant family
The surname Syllymant was first found in
Surrey where they were Lords of the manor of Caterham from ancient times. Alternatively, the name could have been derived from Selham, a small village in the Chichester district of West
Sussex. The village dates back to the
Domesday Book where it was listed as Seleham and literally meant "homestead by a copse of sallow-trees."
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Early History of the Syllymant family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Syllymant research.
Another 239 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1240, 1303, 1371, 1468, 1800, 1426, 1390, 1411, 1414, 1435, 1414 and 1435 are included under the topic Early Syllymant History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Syllymant Spelling Variations
Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Syllymant has undergone many
spelling variations, including Saleman, Salman, Selman, Selyman, Seleman and others.
Early Notables of the Syllymant family (pre 1700)
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Syllymant Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Syllymant family to the New World and Oceana
To escape the unstable social climate in
England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Syllymant were among those contributors: George Selman who settled in Barbados in 1634; Michael Selman arrived in Philadelphia in 1741; another Michael Selman arrived in Philadelphia in 1844.