Simnel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

Etymology of Simnel

What does the name Simnel mean?

While surnames were well-known during the English medieval period, Cornish People originally used only a single name. The way in which hereditary surnames came into common use is interesting. Under the Feudal System of government, surnames evolved and they often reflected life on the manor and in the field. Patronymic surnames were derived from given names and were the predominant type of surname among the Celtic peoples of Britain. However, the people of Cornwall provide a surprising exception to this rule, and patronymic surnames are less common among them than other people of Celtic stock, such as their Welsh neighbors. This type of surname blended perfectly with the prevailing Feudal System. One feature that is occasionally found in Cornish surnames of this type is the suffix -oe or -ow; this is derived from the Cornish plural suffix -ow. is a patronymic surname that came from the first name of the bearer's father, meaning literally "son of Simon." Alternatively, the name could have "come from the Domesday name Simund, which is distinct from Simon." 1

Simon was a popular biblical name and comes ultimately from the ancient Hebrew personal name Shimon, meaning "to hearken." 2

The name appears as a character in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales: 'Awake, Simond, the fend is on me fall.'

Early Origins of the Simnel family

The surname Simnel was first found in Devon and in Cornwall, where the family held a family seat since ancient times.

The ancient Latin form of the name Simmunddnrus was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. 3

Simeon or Symeon of Durham (fl. 1130), was an English historian, a monk of Durham, being thirty-eighth on his own list of the monks of that house. Saint Simeon Stock (1165?-1265), was general of the Carmelite friars and is said to have been born in Kent of noble parents about 1165. "From his earliest years he was devoted to religion, and, according to the legend, owed his surname to the fact that from his twelfth year he lived a hermit's life in the trunk or stock of a tree for twenty years. " 4

Simeon of Warwick (died 1295), was an English historian who became a Benedictine monk at St. Mary's, York, and in 1258 was elected abbot.

In Scotland, the first records of the family were "Symon, capellanus, [who] witnessed a charter by William Bruce to Adam Carlyle, c. 1194-1214, and Symon or Simon, archidiaconus of Aberdeen, a charter witness, 1172." 5

Early History of the Simnel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Simnel research. Another 113 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1178, 1273, 1379, 1388, 1475, 1487, 1500, 1525, 1528, 1586, 1614, 1617, 1623, 1624, 1640, 1665, 1687, 1692, 1815 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Simnel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Simnel Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Symons, Symonds, Symond, Simmins, Simins, Simmonds, Simonds, Simond, Simmons, Simon, Simmon, Simmen, Symon and many more.

Early Notables of the Simnel family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

On the infamous side, Lambert Simnel (fl. 1487-1525), was an English impostor, probably born about 1475, the birth-date of Edward, Earl of Warwick whom he impersonated. "It has been suggested that Sim...

Migration of the Simnel family to Ireland

Some of the Simnel family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 62 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 Simnel family

An investigation of the immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Simnel: Robert and William Simons, who settled in Virginia in 1606, 14 years before the "Mayflower"; Henry Symons, who settled in Boston in 1630; Oliver, Sarah, Dorothy, Francis, James, and Joe Symonds, who all settled in Virginia in 1635.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)