Yeaman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Yeaman is one of the many new names that came to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Yeaman is for a gatekeeper. Further research proved the surname Yeaman was originally derived from the Old English word geat, meaning gate.

Early Origins of the Yeaman family

The surname Yeaman was first found in Dorset where they held a family seat from very ancient times and were Lords of the Manor of Stock Gaylard in that shire. Conjecturally, this family name is descended from William d'Eu who held the manor at the time of the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086 A.D. Count William d'Eu's main holdings were in Wiltshire but it may well be that a junior line of the family became husbandmen to his Dorset holdings.

Early History of the Yeaman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Yeaman research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1578, 1611, 1632, 1641, 1642, 1643, 1674, 1685, 1689, 1690 and 1730 are included under the topic Early Yeaman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Yeaman Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Yetman, Yeatman, Yeetman, Yeaman, Yateman, Yatman and others.

Early Notables of the Yeaman family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Pym Yeatmen of Stock House; Sir John Yeamans, 1st Baronet (1611-1674), an English colonial administrator from Bristol described in his day as "a pirate ashore", Governor of the Province of Carolina; S...
Robert Yeamans or Yeomans (d. 1643), was an English Royalist who came of a numerous Bristol family, and was probably nearly related to William Yeamans (1578-1632?), a graduate of Balliol College, Oxfo...

Yeaman migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Yeaman or a variant listed above:

Yeaman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Yeaman, who arrived in America in 1795 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Yeaman (post 1700) +

George Helm Yeaman (1829-1908), American politician, U.S. Representative from Kentucky, U.S. Ambassador to Denmark (1865-1870)
Sir Ian Yeaman, President of the Law Society
Malcolm Yeaman, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kentucky, 1876 2
Mrs. James M. Yeaman, American politician, Delegate to Kentucky convention to ratify 21st amendment, 1933 2
George Helm Yeaman (1829-1908), American politician, Representative from Kentucky 2nd District, 1862-65; U.S. Minister to Denmark, 1865-70 2
Kirk Yeaman (b. 1983), English Rugby League player
John Yeaman (1735-1824), Canadian political figure in New Brunswick
Jennie Yeaman (1862-1906), Australian child actress and singer
Lydia Yeaman (1866-1929), Australian singer and actress of the stage and motion pictures

The Yeaman Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Propositi tenax
Motto Translation: Tenacious of my resolve.

Citations +

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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html