Show ContentsVerity History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 added many new elements to an already vibrant culture. Among these were thousands of new names. The Verity family lived in Cumberland. Their name, however, is a reference to the Barony of La Ferte, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

Early Origins of the Verity family

The surname Verity was first found in Cumberland where they held a family seat anciently after the Norman Conquest in 1066.

Early History of the Verity family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Verity research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1435, 1473 and 1645 are included under the topic Early Verity History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Verity Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Vardy, Vardey, Vartey, Varty, Verty, Vertie and others.

Early Notables of the Verity family

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


Verity migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Verity or a variant listed above:

Verity Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Verity, who arrived in Maryland in 1676 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Verity (post 1700) +

  • W. E. Verity, American Republican politician, Secretary of Minnesota Republican Party, 1904 2
  • Calvin William Verity Jr. (1917-2007), American politician, Secretary of Commerce, 1987-89 2
  • Albert Verity, American politician, Mayor of Park Ridge, Illinois, 1915-17 2
  • Nicholas Verity Knight (b. 1969), English former cricketer
  • Verity Martindill, British announcer for Southern Television and ITV Central
  • Verity Rushworth (b. 1985), English television actress
  • Verity Jane Dearsley, British actress
  • Verity Bargate, British author


  1. 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)
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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