| ![Show Contents]() Offer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
England Etymology of OfferWhat does the name Offer mean? The Offer surname is generally thought to be a habitational name, taken on from one of several places named Over, or Ower in Britain, such as Over in Cambridgeshire, in Cheshire and in Derbyshire. These place names are derived from the Old English "ofer," meaning "seashore," or "riverbank." Early Origins of the Offer familyThe surname Offer was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Over, held by Earl Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester and the northwest, who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. Early History of the Offer familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Offer research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1275 and 1524 are included under the topic Early Offer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Offer Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: over, overs and others. Early Notables of the Offer familyMore information is included under the topic Early Offer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Offer migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Offer Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Mr. Robert Offer, English convict who was convicted in Wiltshire, England for 21 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 13th March 1828, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 2
- Mr. James Offer who was convicted in Meerut, India for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eudora" on 25th July 1840, arriving in New South Wales 3
| Contemporary Notables of the name Offer (post 1700) | + |
- Vince Offer (b. 1964), born Offer Shlomi, also known as Vince Shlomi, or the "ShamWow!" Guy, an Israeli American director, writer, comedian, and infomercial pitchman
- John Sidney "Jack" Offer (1908-1985), English rower who won Silver Goblets at Henley Royal Regatta and a silver medal at the 1938 British Empire Games
- Richard Frederick "Dick" Offer (1909-2007), English rower who won Silver Goblets at Henley Royal Regatta and a silver medal at the 1938 British Empire Games
- Avner Offer, English economic historian who held the Chichele Professorship in Economic history at the University of Oxford
- Eliyahu Offer (1944-2022), Israeli professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder for Hapoel Be'er Sheva
- Steven Offer (b. 1949), Canadian former politician in Ontario, Solicitor General (1989-1990)
| Historic Events for the Offer family | + |
- Charles Henry Offer (1919-1939), British Able Seaman with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 4
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