Contents [hide]

Vinson History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Vinson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Vinson

What does the name Vinson mean?

Vinson is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest brought to England in 1066. The Vinson 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 Vinson family

The surname Vinson 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 Vinson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Vinson 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 Vinson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Vinson 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 Vinson 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 Vinson include Vincent, Vinsant, Vinsen, Vincer and others.

Early Notables of the Vinson 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. 5John 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 minister from Cornwall, ejected in 1662 and several times imprisoned.Thomas Vincent (1634-1678), was...
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Vinson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Vinson Ranking

In the United States, the name Vinson is the 980^th most popular surname with an estimated 29,844 people with that name. 6 However, in France, the name Vinson is ranked the 7,804^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 7

Migration of the Vinson family to Ireland

Some of the Vinson 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.

Vinson 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 Vinson, or a variant listed above:

Vinson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Tho Vinson, aged 18, who landed in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Primrose" 8
William Vinson, who arrived in Virginia in 1637 8
Phillip Vinson, who landed in Virginia in 1652 8
Mary Vinson, who settled in Virginia in 1663
Ben j Vinson, who landed in Virginia in 1664 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Vinson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Vinson, who arrived in America in 1764 8

Vinson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joseph Vinson, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 8

Vinson migration to Australia +

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

Vinson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Vinson, English convict who was convicted in North Riding, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Egyptian" on 5th April 1839, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9

Vinson 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:

Vinson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Sarah Vinson, aged 19, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Cartvale" in 1874
Miss Sarah Vinson, (b. 1855), aged 19, Cornish servant departing on 25th June 1874 aboard the ship "Cartvale" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 11th October 1874 10
Miss Annie Vinson, (b. 1859), aged 25, Cornish general servant departing on 29th March 1884 aboard the ship "Victory" going to Hawkes Bay, New Zealand arriving in port on 25th May 1884 11

Contemporary Notables of the name Vinson (post 1700) +

Carl Vinson (1883-1981), 40th Dean of the United States House of Representatives, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, eponym of the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) and Vinson Massif, Antarctica
Clyde Roger Vinson (1940-2023), American jurist, Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida (2005-2023)
Fred Vinson (b. 1977), former American NFL football cornerback who played from 1999 to 2004
Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson (1917-1988), American jump blues, jazz, bebop and R&B alto saxophonist
William A. Vinson, American lawyer and businessman, co-founder of Vinson & Elkins LLP, now an international law firm headquartered in Downtown Houston, Texas in 1917
Jackey Vinson (b. 1976), American actor, known for Breaking the Rules (1992), The Wizard (1989) and Grand (1990)
Helen Vinson (1907-1999), American film actress, known for her work in I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932), The Thin Man Goes Home (1945) and The Wedding Night (1935); she has a Star on the Walk of Fame
Clarence Adam Vinson (b. 1978), American bronze medalist boxer at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Gary Vinson (1936-1984), American television actor from the 1960s
Walter Vinson (1901-1975), American Memphis blues guitarist, singer and songwriter
... (Another 23 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Vinson family +

Arrow Air Flight 1285

Mr. Wayne Vinson (1964-1985), American Private 1st Class from Chesapeake, Virginia, USA who died in the Arrow Air Flight 1285 crash 12

St. Francis Dam

Mrs. Ella Della Vinson, American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928

The Vinson 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.

Citations +

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/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 26th January 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/egyptian
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Wellington 1872-1880 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nz_wellington.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to other ports, 1872 - 84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
American War Memorials - Flight 1285. (Retrieved 2016, August 24) . Retrieved from http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/monument_details.php?SiteID=317&MemID=550