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Show ContentsFleming History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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Etymology of Fleming

What does the name Fleming mean?

The German surname Fleming emerged in the lands that formed the modern state of Lower Saxony, which is presently bordered by the North Sea, the Hartz mountains and the Elbe and Ems rivers. Lower Saxony was previously a medieval Saxon dukedom. The name Fleming, which is a local surname, reveals that the original bearer of the name once lived, held land, or was born in this beautiful region of Lower Saxony. In the Holy Roman Empire, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules and after the 12th century, names that were derived from localities became increasingly widespread. Local names originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. When coupled with the German preposition von, which means from or of, local names can indicate that the bearer of the name was an aristocrat. However, in modern times, the von is frequently dropped from the surname. The Fleming family originally lived in Flanders. In the Middle Ages, Flanders and other regions of the Netherlands enjoyed a considerable commercial intercourse with England, Germany and France. Consequently, many people from this region migrated to other European states.

Early Origins of the Fleming family

The surname Fleming was first found in Lower Saxony, where the family gained a significant reputation for its contributions to the emerging mediaeval society. The name became prominent as many branches of the family founded separate houses and acquired estates in various regions, always elevating their social status by their great contributions to society. The name originates from the German word "flame" meaning "flame."

Individual bearers of the name first mentioned in ancient chronicles include Ilias Flammic in Cologne around 1135, Pilgrimus von Flemminch in Austria in 1287, Tham Flemmingen in Pomerania in 1295, Conrad Flemingen in Pomerania in 1315, Dyle zum Fleminge in Frankfurt around 1333. The variation Vlemming mainly appears in chronicles of northern cities such as Luebeck, Rostock, Stralsund, and Barth around 1300.

Early History of the Fleming family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fleming research. Another 324 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1609, 1640, 1700 and 1745 are included under the topic Early Fleming History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fleming Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Fleming, Flemming, Flaminc, Vleming, Flamen, Flaehming, Flehmig, Flehmke, Flemisch, Flemmig, Flaeming, Flaemming, Fleminge, Flaemisch, Vlemming, Flammic, Flemminch, Flemmingen and many more.

Early Notables of the Fleming family

Notables of the time included

  • Paul Fleming (1609-1640), who was a patriotic poet from Saxony

Fleming World Ranking

In the United States, the name Fleming is the 258th most popular surname with an estimated 101,967 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Fleming is ranked the 359th most popular surname with an estimated 12,664 people with that name. 2 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Fleming is the 196th popular surname with an estimated 212 people with that name. 3 Australia ranks Fleming as 212nd with 15,680 people. 4 New Zealand ranks Fleming as 182nd with 3,010 people. 5 The United Kingdom ranks Fleming as 286th with 21,268 people. 6

Fleming migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Fleming Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Fleming, who landed in Jamestown, Va in 1616 7
  • Richard Fleming, aged 24, who landed in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Plain Joan" 7
  • Richard Fleming, who settled in Virginia in 1635
  • Abram Fleming, aged 40, who landed in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Increase", bound for Boston 7
  • Elizabeth Fleming, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Fleming Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Margaret Fleming, who landed in Virginia in 1701 7
  • Richard Fleming, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 7
  • Alex Fleming, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 7
  • John Fleming, who landed in Virginia in 1702 7
  • James Fleming, who arrived in Virginia in 1703 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Fleming Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Fleming, aged 24, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1803 7
  • Margaret Fleming, aged 20, who arrived in New York, NY in 1804 7
  • Helen Fleming, who arrived in Georgia in 1806 7
  • Beatrice Fleming, who emigrated from Scotland to Georgia in 1806
  • Beatrice Fleming, who arrived in Georgia in 1806 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Fleming migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Fleming Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Joseph Fleming, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Mr. James Fleming U.E. who settled in New Brunswick c. 1784 he is listed with the Loyalists and Disbanded Soldiers whose names appear as Passamaquoddy New Brunswick Loyalists 8
Fleming Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Mary Fleming, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1813
  • James Fleming, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1814
  • Mary Fleming, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1819
  • Charles Fleming, who arrived in Canada in 1820
  • Margaret Fleming, aged 20, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Maria" from Cork, Ireland
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Fleming migration to Australia +

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

Fleming Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Fleming, British Convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for life for theft, transported aboard the "Earl Spencer" in May 1813, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
  • Mr. Edward Fleming, (b. 1802), aged 18, Irish shoe maker who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for felony, transported aboard the "Dorothy" on 5th May 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, listed as sent on to Newcastle via "Sally" in 1821 10
  • Mr. Thomas Fleming, (Hamilton, Robertson), Scottish convict who was convicted in Perth, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Claudine" on 20th May 1821, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11
  • Mr. John Fleming, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl St Vincent" on 20th April 1826, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 12
  • Mr. John Fleming, (b. 1779), aged 50, Irish black smith who was convicted in Cork, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 2nd March 1829, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 13
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Fleming migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Fleming Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Samuel Fleming, who landed in Onehunga, Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
  • Mr. William Fleming, British settler arriving as Detachment of the Royal New Zealand Fencibles travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Sir George Symour" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 26th November 1847 14
  • S. Fleming, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Stately" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 1st June 1851 14
  • S. Fleming, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Stately" in 1851
  • Mr. Michael Fleming, British settler travelling from Portsmouth aboard the ship "Duke of Portland" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 13th October 1851 15
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Fleming (post 1700) +

  • Commander Ian Lancaster Fleming (1908-1964), English author, journalist and Second World War Navy Commander, best remembered for creating the character of James Bond, but children remember him as the author of the story "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" 16
  • Sir Alexander Fleming (1881-1955), Scottish biologist and pharmacologist who discovered of penicillin (1928) and shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1945 17
  • Frank Fleming (1953-2022), American politician, Member of the Montana House of Representatives (2018-2022)
  • George Fleming (1937-2021), American multi-position college football player, inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame on December 31, 2011
  • Rhonda Fleming (1923-2020), born Marilyn Louis, an American film and television actress who acted in more than 40 films, nicknamed the "Queen of Technicolor"
  • Dave Fleming (1944-2020), American CFL football player who played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (1965-1974)
  • Thomas "Tom" Fleming (1951-2017), American four-time gold medalist marathon runner
  • Martin Brendan Fleming (1926-2016), American politician, Mayor of Lowell, Massachusetts from 1982 to 1984
  • Major-General Raymond Hartwell Fleming (1889-1974), American Adjutant-General of Louisiana (1960-1964) 18
  • Major-General Philip Bracken Fleming (1887-1955), American Under-Secretary of Commerce (1950-1951) 19
  • ... (Another 23 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
HMAS Sydney II
HMS Repulse
  • Mr. Ian Fleming (b. 1908), British Lieutenant, who trained on board the HMS Repulse (1941) in WW1 had an illustrious career and went on to create "James Bond" 21
HMS Royal Oak
  • Edward Fleming, British Stoker with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking 22
RMS Titanic
  • Miss Honora "Nora" Fleming (d. 1912), aged 22, Irish Third Class passenger from Carrowskehine, Mayo who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 23
  • Miss Margaret Fleming, aged 42, American First Class passenger from Haverford, Pennsylvania who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping in life boat 4 23
SS Caribou
  • Mr. Thomas P. Fleming, (Tommy), British crew member from North Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia was travelling aboard the railway ferry "SS Caribou" when it was struck by a German submarine torpedo on 14th October 1942, the most significant sinking in Canadian waters at that time, he survived the sinking
SS Newfoundland
  • Mr. William Fleming (1895-1914), Newfoundlander from Bonavista, who on the 30th March 1914 he was part of the Seal Crew of the "SS Newfoundland" leaving the ship to intercept the Stephano which took him to the hunting grounds, he disembarked to begin sealing, but was caught in a thickening storm, attempting to return to the Newfoundland he and the 132 crew made camp for two days the sealers were stranded on the ice in a blizzard attempting to return to the ship, he died during this time
SS Southern Cross
  • Mr. Cornelius Fleming (1891-1914), Newfoundlander from St. Vincent's who was aboard the "SS Southern Cross" when it is suspected she sank between the 31st March 1914 and early April during the storm with a heavy load of pelts; no survivors were ever found

Suggested Readings for the name Fleming +

  • Hamilton, Mullins, Fleming, and Related Lines (of Kentucky, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee) by Verle Hamilton Parrish.
  • Let the Deed Show: A Pictorial and Historical Record of the Fleming, Edwards and Woods Families Dating from 1700's to 1980 by James R. Fleming.
  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  3. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  4. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  5. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  6. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  7. 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)
  8. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 8th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-spencer
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dorothy
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/claudine
  12. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-st-vincent
  13. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
  14. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  15. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  16. Ian Fleming. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Ian Fleming. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Fleming
  17. Alexander Fleming. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Alexander Fleming. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Fleming
  18. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, February 29) Raymond Fleming. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Fleming/Raymond_Hartwell/USA.html
  19. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, February 29) Philip Fleming. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Fleming/Philip_Bracken/USA.html
  20. HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
  21. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
  22. Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
  23. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html

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