Canine History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Canine

What does the name Canine mean?

The present generation of the Canine family is only the most recent to bear a name that dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name comes from having lived in Hertfordshire where the name is derived from "canon, a member of an ecclesiastical order. There is a place called Canon, near Lisieux in Normandy." 1 The name may have also originated from the French, Canonne, a personal name. 2

The Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae listed Galfridus and Radulfus Canonicus or Le Chanoin of Normandy, 1180-95 and about the same time the Pipe Rolls listed Gilbert and Robert Canonicus in England in 1189. 3

Early Origins of the Canine family

The surname Canine was first found in Hertfordshire where "Cannon is an old name in this county, both at Nast Hyde in St. Peter's and at Clothall; there was a John Canon of Ware or Shenley in the time of Henry VI. In the 13th century the name occurred, usually in the form of Canon, in Oxfordshire, Hunts, Cambridgeshire, etc. " 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed John le Cannon, Oxfordshire and William le Canon as both holding lands that at that time. 5

John Canon or Canonicus (fl. 1329), was a schoolman who studied at Oxford, and became a member of the Franciscan order. "He is distinguished by the biographers for his eminence in philosophy, theology, and law, both canon and civil, and four books of commentaries on the 'Sentences' of Peter Lombard, some 'Lecturæ magistrales,' and 'Quæstiones disputatæ,' are ascribed to him. " 6

Hugh Canoun, or Hugh Canon (died c. 1317) was an English-born judge in early fourteenth-century Ireland. He was a justice of the Court of Common Pleas (Ireland) and served as Deputy Justiciar of Ireland. He hailed from he parish of Woodford, Somerset (now Nettlecombe.)

William Canynges (1399?-1474), was a "merchant of Bristol, third son of John Canynges, burgess and merchant of that city, and Joan Wotton his wife, came of a family that stood high among the merchants of Bristol, for the elder William Canynges, his grandfather, a wealthy cloth manufacturer, was six times mayor, and thrice a representative of the city in parliament.' 6

Early History of the Canine family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Canine research. Another 183 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1456, 1663, 1697, 1707, 1708, 1722, 1827, 1862 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Canine History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Canine Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Canine include Canning, Cannings, Cannyng, Caning, Canings, Canyng and many more.

Early Notables of the Canine family

Distinguished members of the family include Robert Cannon (1663-1722), Dean of Lincoln, born in London in 1663, educated at Eton and at King's College, Cambridge. "He held for a time a fellowship...
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Canine Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Canine family to Ireland

Some of the Canine 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.

Migration of the Canine family

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Canine were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: John Canninge who settled in Virginia in 1652; William Cannings settled in Barbados in 1680 with his wife, two children, and servants; Elizabeth Canning landed in America in 1754.

Contemporary Notables of the name Canine (post 1700) +

Henry Canine, American football coach
Lieutenant-General Ralph Julian Canine (1895-1969), American Chief of Staff V Corps (1946-1947) 7

The Canine 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: Dum vigilio tutus
Motto Translation: While I watch I am safe.

Sources +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, November 3) Ralph Canine. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Canine/Ralph_Julian/USA.html