| ![Show Contents]() Pointier History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
England
Etymology of PointierWhat does the name Pointier mean? The name Pointier is from the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name was given to a person who was a maker of points, which are cords for fastening together doublet and hose; a maker of garter belts. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old English word poynte, which meant "a tagged lace or cord made of twisted yarn, silk, or leather." 1 It is also possible that the name is derived from the construction term pointing, which is the practice of fastening and sealing roofing tiles with mortar. This practice gained currency in the 13th century and was called pointing. Early Origins of the Pointier familyThe surname Pointier was first found in Berkshire, where Benedict le Puinter was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Berkshire in 1206. "Some of the Poynters, however are of French origin, being descendants of Ambrose Pointier, of Arras, who settled [in England] at the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. The armorials of this family are pointedly allusive; the shield contains pointed piles. " 1 Early History of the Pointier familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pointier research. Another 111 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1206, 1273, 1314, 1514, 1556, 1590, 1593, 1626, 1629, 1633, 1663, 1665, 1668, 1710, 1754 and 1850 are included under the topic Early Pointier History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Pointier Spelling VariationsSound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Pointier family name include Pointer, Poynter, Pointier, Ponet and others. Early Notables of the Pointier familyNotables of this surname at this time include: Sir Robert Pointz (c 1590-1665), an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1626 and 1629; and Sir John Pointz (died 1633), an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1593.John Pointer (1668-1754), was an English antiquary...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pointier Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Pointier familyFor political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Investigation of the origins of family names on the North American continent has revealed that early immigrants bearing the name Pointier or a variant listed above: Robert Pointer, also recorded as Robert Poynter, who came to Virginia in 1654; William Poynter, who arrived in Virginia in 1655; Edward Poynter, who came to Virginia in 1666.
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: Pense a pointer
Motto Translation: Think a point
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
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