Molyneux History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Molyneux

What does the name Molyneux mean?

When the ancestors of the Molyneux family emigrated to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066 they brought their family name with them. They lived in Lancashire. The name however, is a reference to the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Molineaux-Sur-Seine, near Rouen, in Normandy.

Early Origins of the Molyneux family

The surname Molyneux was first found in Lancashire as "an ancient Norman family, who have been possessed of the manor of Sefton, in this county, from the period of the Conquest, or very soon afterwards: it was held as a knight's fee, as of the Castle of Lancaster." 1 William de Molines was the first recorded ancestor. "Previously to the Conquest, 'Sextune,' one of the original parishes of Lancashire, was held by five thanes. The family of Molyneux or Molines subsequently settled here. William des Molines, so named from Moulines, a town of Bourbonnois, in France, is mentioned in the Norman Chronicles as a man of noble origin, held in high esteem by the Duke William, afterwards William I. of England. In the roll of Battle Abbey, his name stands the eighteenth in order; and soon after the Conquest, he acquired, by gift of Roger de Poictou, the lordships of Sefton, Thornton, and Kerden, of which he made Sefton his chief seat. " 2

We now wish to draw the reader's attention to the township of Netherton in the parish of Sefton. "Sir William Molyneux, who received the honour of knighthood in the 46th of Henry III., gave by a deed without date, to William, son of his brother Roger, certain lands in Netherton, to hold by knight's service and the yearly rent of one halfpenny; and Sir William, a member of the same family, gave lands in Netherton to his son, John, about the reign of Richard II. The township is still the property of the family of Molyneux." 2

Over in Kirby more records of the family were found. "Adam de Molynes, lord of Sefton, in the reign of William II. married Annotta, heiress of Benedict, son of Roger Gernet; and this place has ever since remained in the family of Molyneux, of Sefton." 2

The parish of Altcar in Lancashire has an interesting feature of the family's history. "Little Altcar is a hamlet adjacent to Formby; and Altcar Hall is an ordinary farmhouse, over the door of which were formerly the arms of the noble family of Molyneux." 2

"Croxteth Hall, [in West Derby, Lancashire] formerly called Barret's Hall, the chief seat of the earl of Sefton, is situated in this township on the borders of Croxteth Park, from which it takes its name. The Molyneux family acquired it in Henry VI's reign, when Sir Richard Molyneux was steward of the manor, and about 1540 was one of the chief residences of the Molyneux family." 3

Early History of the Molyneux family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Molyneux research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1594, 1598, 1616, 1620, 1624, 1636, 1651, 1654, 1656, 1685, 1693, 1696, 1698, 1699, 1702 and 1759 are included under the topic Early Molyneux History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Molyneux Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Molyneux have been found, including Molinieux, Molinaux, Molineaux, Molineux, Molinex and many more.

Early Notables of the Molyneux family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Sir Thomas Molyneux of Horton
Emery Molyneux (d. 1598), English Elizabethan maker of globes, mathematical instruments and ordnance
Richard Molyneux, 1st Viscount Molyneux (1594-1636)
Richard Molyneux, 2nd Viscount Molyneux (1620-1654)
Caryll Molyneux, 3rd Viscount Molyneux (1624-1699)
William Molyneux, 7th Viscount Molyneux (1685-1759)

Molyneux Ranking

In the United States, the name Molyneux is the 18,079^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Molyneux family to Ireland

Some of the Molyneux family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Molyneux migration to the United States +

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. 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 Molyneux were among those contributors:

Molyneux Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Robert S Molyneux, who landed in California in 1893 5

Molyneux migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Molyneux Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. James Molyneux, English convict who was convicted in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 27th April 1833, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
Mr. Henry Molyneux, English convict who was convicted in Manchester, Greater Manchester (Lancaster), England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 8th July 1840, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
Mr. Matthew Molyneux, English convict who was convicted in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Cressy" on 28th April 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
Henry Molyneux, aged 20, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Eliza" 9
Mr. David Molyneux, Welsh convict who was convicted in Mold, Flintshire, Wales for 10 years, transported aboard the "Cornwall" on 28th February 1851, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10

Contemporary Notables of the name Molyneux (post 1700) +

Fred Molyneux (1944-2019), English professional footballer from Wallasey, England who played from 1965 to 1974
Paul Seymour Morthier Molyneux (1906-1980), English first-class cricketer for Somerset who played in six matches in the 1937
Irene Molyneux, English gold and bronze medalist lawn bowler at the 1981 World Outdoor Championships
John Molyneux (1931-2018), English footballer from Warrington, Lancashire
John Molyneux VC (1890-1972), English recipient of the Victoria Cross
Edward Henry Molyneux (1891-1974), English fashion designer
John Molyneux (1948-2022), British Trotskyist, academic and author, editor of Irish Marxist Review
Joyce Molyneux (1931-2022), British chef, one of the first women to receive a Michelin star
Peter Molyneux OBE (b. 1960), English computer game designer and game programmer
William Molyneux (1835-1897), 4th Earl of Sefton, British peer
... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
'Townships: Scarisbrick', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1907), pp. 265-276. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp265-276 [accessed 21 January 2017].
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st May 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cressy
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ELIZA 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Eliza.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cornwall