Vincent History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Ireland

Etymology of Vincent

What does the name Vincent mean?

Vincent is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Vincent family lived in Leicestershire. Their name, however, is a reference to St. Vincent-de-Cramenil, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. 1

Early Origins of the Vincent family

The surname Vincent was first found in Leicestershire where they held a family seat from early times at Swinford. They were originally from St. Vincent-de-Cramenil in Le Havre in Normandy. Today, Swinford is a village and civil parish in the Harborough district

"The family of Vincent descend from Miles Vincent, owner of the lands at Swinford in the county of Leicester, in the tenth of Edward II." 2

Exploration of the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 discovered: Roger Vincent in Berkshire; and Richard filius Vincent in Huntingdonshire. 3 Kirby's Quest listed Vincent atte More in Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 4 Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Johannes Vynsand. 3

Early History of the Vincent family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Vincent research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1584, 1591, 1617, 1618, 1626, 1634, 1638, 1639, 1646, 1662, 1678, 1697 and 1761 are included under the topic Early Vincent History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Vincent Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Vincent are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Vincent include Vincent, Vinsant, Vinsen, Vincer and others.

Early Notables of the Vincent family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Augustine Vince (1584?-1626), English herald, born presumably at Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, about 1584, the third and youngest son of William Vincent (d. 1618) and his wife Elizabeth. 5
John Vincent (1591-1646), was nominated by the committee of the Westminster Assembly to the rectory of Sedgefield, Durham; and his son, Nathaniel Vincent (1639?-1697), was an English nonconformist min...
Thomas Vincent (1634-1678), was an English nonconformist divine, second son of John Vincent and elder brother of Nathaniel Vincent
Philip Vincent (fl. 1638), was an English author, born at Frisby in the parish of Conisborough in Yorkshire. He was the second son of Richard Vincent (d. 1617), a student of Gray's Inn, and grandson o...

Vincent World Ranking

In the United States, the name Vincent is the 579^th most popular surname with an estimated 49,740 people with that name. 6 However, in Canada, the name Vincent is ranked the 273^rd most popular surname with an estimated 15,430 people with that name. 7 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Vincent is the 226^th popular surname. 8 Newfoundland, Canada ranks Vincent as 187^th with 219 people. 9 France ranks Vincent as 19^th with 57,351 people. 10 Australia ranks Vincent as 362^nd with 10,019 people. 11 New Zealand ranks Vincent as 279^th with 2,191 people. 12 The United Kingdom ranks Vincent as 450^th with 14,435 people. 13

Migration of the Vincent family to Ireland

Some of the Vincent family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Vincent migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Vincent, or a variant listed above:

Vincent Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Sarah Allerton Vincent, who landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 14
William Vincent, who settled in Virginia in 1623
Adrian Vincent, who settled in New England in 1634 aboard the ship "Mary & John"
Humphrey Vincent, who arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1634 14
Henry Vincent, who settled in Virginia in 1635
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Vincent Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Francis Vincent, aged 56, who landed in New York in 1719 14
John Vincent, who settled in Maryland in 1726
Louis Vincent, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 14
Madeleine Vincent, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1753 14
Francoise Vincent, who landed in South Carolina in 1756 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Vincent Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Michael Vincent, who settled in New York in 1820
Vicente Vincent, aged 50, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1830 14
Charles Vincent, who settled in New York in 1832
Joseas Vincent, who arrived in New York in 1834 14
Ovid Vincent, who landed in New York in 1834 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Vincent migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Vincent Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Jean-Antoine Vincent, who arrived in Canada in 1632-1760
Mr. Michel Vincent, (b. 1636), aged 20, French labourer travelling to Canada to work for François Peron, arriving on 11th April 1656 15

Vincent Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Giles Vincent was a planter of Connaigre, Newfoundland in 1710 16
Jean Vincent, son of Michel and Anne-Marie, who married Élisabeth Comeau, daughter of Abraham and Marguerite, in Beaubassin, Acadia on 25th May 1734 17
François Vincent, son of François and Catherine, who married Marguerite Tessier, daughter of Jean-Baptiste and Élisabeth, in Longueuil, Quebec on 15th September 1738 17
Thomas Vincent, son of Vincent and Anne, who married Agathe Bélanger, daughter of Jean-François and Marie, in Sainte-Anne, Quebec on 5th May 1738 17
John Vincent, who settled in Petty Harbour, Newfoundland, in 1739 16
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Vincent Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Jonathan Vincent, who landed in Canada in 1830
William Vincent, who arrived in Canada in 1831
Gershom Vincent, who arrived in Canada in 1831
William Vincent, aged 45, a husbandman, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Bolivar" from Plymouth, England
Mary Vincent, aged 38, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Bolivar" from Plymouth, England
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Vincent migration to Australia +

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

Vincent Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Vincent, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Duke of Portland" in January 1807, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 18
Mr. William Vincent, British convict who was convicted in Monmouth, Monmouthshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Competitor"18th March 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 19
Mr. William Vincent, British convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Asia" on 29th September 1831, settling in New South Wales, Australia 20
Mary Anne Vincent, aged 16, a domestic servant, who arrived in Holdfast Bay, Australia aboard the ship "Africaine" in 1836 21
Mr. John Vincent who was convicted in Norfolk, England for 15 years, transported aboard the "Duchess of Northumberland" on 1st October 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 22
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Vincent 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:

Vincent Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William Edward Vincent, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1841
William Edward Vincent, aged 17, a printer, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Slains Castle" in 1841
Mr. William Edward Vincent, (b. 1819), aged 21, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Slains Castle" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 25th January 1841 23
Charles Vincent, aged 27, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mary Ann" in 1842
Sarah Vincent, aged 26, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mary Ann" in 1842
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Vincent migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 24

Vincent Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

John Vincent, who settled in Jamaica in 1663
Elizabeth Vincent, who settled in Barbados in 1685

Contemporary Notables of the name Vincent (post 1700) +

Francis Thomas "Fay" Vincent Jr. (1938-2025), American entertainment lawyer, securities regulator, and sports executive, served as the eighth baseball commissioner from (1989-1992)
Katie Vincent, American film actress, screenwriter, producer, singer and songwriter
Norah Mary Vincent (1968-2022), American writer and weekly columnist for the Los Angeles Times who gained attention in 2006 for her book, Self-Made Man, detailing her experiences when she lived as a man for eighteen months
Jan-Michael Vincent (1944-2019), American actor, best known for his role as Stringfellow Hawke on the 1980s U.S. television series Airwolf (1984â€“1986)
David W. Vincent (1949-2017), American baseball official scorer, statistician, and historian, nicknamed "The Sultan of Swats Stats" by ESPN
Vinnie Vincent (b. 1952), born Vincent John Cusano, American guitarist and songwriter, former member in the band Kiss
Brigadier General Clinton D. Vincent (1914-1955), American flying ace
Edward Vincent (b. 1934), American state Senator
Cerina Vincent (b. 1979), American film actress and model
Jamie Roy Vincent (1975-2022), English professional footballer who played 447 matches as a defender
... (Another 27 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Vincent family +

Empress of Ireland

Mr. John Vincent (1858-1914), English Second Class Passenger from Faircross, England, United Kingdom who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 25
Mrs. Clara Vincent (1857-1914), née Searson English Second Class Passenger from Faircross, England, United Kingdom who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 25

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Leonard Andrew Vincent, British Stoker 1st Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and died in the sinking 26

HMS Royal Oak

Jeffery E.S. Vincent, British Lieutenant with the Royal Marine aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking 27

The Vincent 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: Vincenti dabitur
Motto Translation: It shall be given to the conqueror.

Sources +

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)
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, 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)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
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)
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
Debien, Gabriel. Liste Des Engagés Pour Le Canada Au XVIIe Siècle. Vol. 6, Laval University, 1952. (Retreived 24th May 2018). Retrieved from https://lebloguedeguyperron.wordpress.com/2016/06/30/130-liste-des-contrats-dengagement-pour-la-nouvelle-france-releves-a-la-rochelle-entre-1634-et-1679/
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 2, Institut Drouin, 1958.
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duke-of-portland
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/competitor
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1831
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) AFRICAINE 1836. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1836Africaine.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duchess-of-northumberland
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
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