CHANNEL ISLAND SURNAMES

CHANNEL ISLAND SURNAMES

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JERSEY surnames

  GUERNSEY surnames

Battam
Bilot
Blampied
Coutanche
De Gruchy
Godfray
Le Vavasseur dit Durell
Machon
Marrett
Martin
Nicolle
Pearce
Picot

Allaire
Bougourd

Brehaut
Brouard
De Garis

De La Mare
Jehan
Lajoie
(France)
Le Page
Le Prevost
Le Sauvage
Martin
Noel

 

MEANING AND LONGEVITY OF SURNAMES
 

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.
 
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 .
 
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 .
 
TYPICAL FEATURES OF NORMAN & BRETON PEOPLE
Victoria Le Prevost
NORMAN BRETON
taller, more solid build
blue eyes
often blond or light hair
broader face
Viking origin
smaller
darker
narrow face
Celtic origin

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