Humphrey Coat of Arms, Family Crest and Humphrey Family History

Humphrey Family History

The ancient origin of the name Humphrey was found in the irishsurnames.com archives. Meaning 'the son of Humphrey', Humphrey is a baptismal name. Variants include Humphery, Humphreys, Humphreyson, Humphris, Humphry, Homfray and Humfress. This name was borne of a ninth century Saint, Bishop of Therouanne, who had a following in England among Norman settlers. This name is of Anglo-Norman descent spreading to Ireland, Scotland and Wales in early times and is found in many mediaeval manuscripts in the above countries. Examples of such are a John Hunfray of Oxford, who was recorded in the 'Hundred Rolls', England, in the year 1273. A Thomas Howmfra was recorded in the 'Poll Tax' of the West Riding of Yorkshire in the year 1379. In Scotland the name is often rendered as Umphray or Umfried as a forename.

In Ireland this name and its variants were introduced into Ulster Province by settlers who arrived from England and Scotland, especially during the seventeenth century. During the 'Plantations of Ireland' in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries Ireland was colonized by the English Crown with this period marking the end of Gaelic supremacy in Ireland. This period brought an influx of settlers into the country but, unlike the earlier Anglo-Norman invasion of the twelfth century that resulted in a full integration into Irish society of the new arrivals, the same never occurred with the Ulster Planters who maintained their own distinct identity.

The Humphrey family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including Humphrey descendants.