St.pier History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of St.pier

What does the name St.pier mean?

The ancestors of the St.pier family arrived in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name St.pier came from the name of Christ's apostle, St. Peter. Known as Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, Cephas, or Peter the Apostle, he was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ, and one of the first leaders of the early Church. It is generally thought that he was crucified in Rome under Emperor Nero between 64 and 68 AD.

Early Origins of the St.pier family

The surname St.pier was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Malpas. They were a branch of the St. Pierres of Malpas who were related to the Lord of Malpas, and Earls of Chester.

Chalfont St. Peter's is a parish, in the union of Amersham, hundred of Burnham, in Buckinghamshire. With nearby Chalfont St. Giles, both parishes were known as Celfunte in the Domesday Book of 1086. 1

Early History of the St.pier family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our St.pier research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the year 1320 is included under the topic Early St.pier History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

St.pier Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled St. Pier, St. Piere, St. Pierre, St. Peter and others.

Early Notables of the St.pier family

More information is included under the topic Early St.pier Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the St.pier family

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name St.pier or a variant listed above: Jean Marie Saint Pierre who settled in Quebec, Canada, in 1783; Dumese De Saint Pierre settled in Charles Town, South Carolina in 1767; Jean Louis Demesne De Saint Pierre settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1768.