MEANING
AND LONGEVITY OF SURNAMES
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BREHAUT - in Jersey since 1512; in
Guernsey in 1100s and in St Pierre du Bois 1300s. |
BLAMPIED - in Jersey 1402 (a
pre-Huguenot line). The progenitor of the Huguenot line was possibly
Charles BLAMPIED, b. 1765 and ordained by John Wesley in 1787. The name is
derived from 'blanc pied' or 'white foot'. |
COUTANCHE - in Jersey 1528.
Possibly the name comes from the town of Coutances in Normandy, France.
The spires of Coutances Cathedral may be seen from Mont Orgueil. Coutanche
shield: azure, two bars argents between six bezants. |
DE GRUCHY - in Jersey from 1089.
The name comes from a hamlet in the Cotentin Peninsula, the seigneurie of
GROUCY near Caen, Normandy. The De Gruchys are probably descended from
Hugo de Gruchy, a farmer of Jersey in 1080 under the Duke of Normandy. |
DE LA MARE - in Jersey by 1180; in
Guernsey by mid 1500s; in Torteval Guernsey in 1600s. Also a Huguenot
name. The name is probably derived from the address of its bearer, 'by
the pond'. |
GODFRAY - in Jersey in 1200 in St
Clement, St Saviour & St Martin. This name was made popular by
Godefroy de Bouillon who led the First Crusade. Godfray shield:
Argent; a griffon sergeant sable between eight bezants. |
JEHAN - an old spelling of Jean;
probably a font name which became the children's surname. A feudal name.
Mentioned in Extente of 1331. |
LE PREVOST - in Jersey 1299. In
Guernsey from 1331 on. Also sometimes listed as Prevost or Provost. |
LE SAUVAGE - in Jersey in 1309; an
old name in Guernsey. |
LE VAVASSEUR DIT DURELL - a scarce
name, often shortened to Durell - in Jersey 1651 - noted in some US
Presidential lines. The name 'Vavasseur' is feudal, signifying a man who
was a landholder of a Seigneur's vassal. |
MACHON - In Guernsey in 1200s; in
Jersey in 1340. This name is derived from the occupation of mason. |
MARETT - in Jersey 1274. Marett
shield: Argent, three bars, gules. The name DUMARESQ is probably
derived from Des Marets of 1331. These two families held La Haule Manor.
Both 'Maresq' and 'Marest' are old French words meaning 'marsh'. |
MARTIN - in Guernsey in the 1100s.
Probably derived from St Martin. |
NICOLLE - in Jersey 1309. Probably
a surname that developed from a pet name of Nicolas and this font name of
the father became the children's surname. |
NOEL - in Jersey 1309. Probably
the font name of a father born around Christmas which later became his
children's surname. |
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Sources: Turk, M. The quiet
adventurers in Canada. Heritage Books.
Balleine, G.R. (1940).Some Jersey surnames: Their origin and
meaning. Annual Bulletin, Societe Jersiaise, XIV, part 1. (Online) Some
Jersey surnames .
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Some of the original sources from
which the dates come are the Inquisition of 1274, the Assize Roll of 1309,
the Extente of 1331 and the Extente of 1528.
A site with many interesting lists of names is Jersey
Names from the Past . |