This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Bennett, Collins, Sholton, Miller, Henkel, Ohlemacher, Rau Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/BRD.2ACEB/3991.1.1 Message Board Post: Here are Bennett Surname Origin info I have collected: #1. A William Benet was recorded in the year 1208 and a Roburtus Filius benite is recorded in Surrey in 1301. Bennett is a patronymic name meaning ' son of bennett' which comes from the latin 'Benedictus' meaning blessed. Family Motto " to serve the king with right good will'' #2 I have a bit of information on the origins of the family name.The ancient family name appears in very early documents; a William Benet was recorded in the year 1208, and a Robertus filius Benite is recorded in Surrey in 1301.Bennet comes from "son of Bennett", meaning blessed. This was a very popular 12th century name. It is the family name of the Earls of Tankerville. The ancient family motto was DE BON VOULOIR SERVIR LE ROY (French) - 'to serve the King with right good will" #3 This is off our coat of arms.... Don't know how generalize it is to other names but it sounded good to me. The Surname BENNETT means 'son of Benet', the latter being a personal name derived through old French Beneit from Latin Benedictus 'blessed'. It was a common christian name from the twelfth century. Once everyone was known by a single name but this led to confusion, so an extra name was adopted. Thus, a man named John whose father was Benet might be known as John (son of) Benet, the additional name eventually becoming hereditary as a surname. Early records mention Robert Beneyt who appears in a Lincolnshire charter in the second half of the 12th century; and Robert Benyt, in Cambridgeshire Subsidy Rolls in 1327. Robert Bennett 1605-1684 was a Parliamentarian Colonel during the English Civil War, was appointed a member of the Council of State in 1653. Edward Bennett 1797-1836 promoted the establishment of the Entomological Society in 1832, which ultimately developed into the London Zoological Society. Among early emigrants from England to America was the Rev William Bennett who arrived in Jamestown in 1626. James Bennett 1800-1872 came to America in 1819, worked on the staff of several newspapers, founding the New York Herald in 1835. He subsidesed Stanley's expedition to find Livingston in 1871. The arms illustrated are described heraldically as: Gules, a bezant between three demi lions rampant argent: Crest: Out of a mural crown or a lion's head guies on the neck of bezant or: for Motto: De bon vouloir servir le roi. Writers in the past have attributed symbolism to the tinctures, changes of heraldry--thus , or (gold), is said to denote Generosity: argent (silver), humility: gules (red), Magnanimity; The lion signifies Deathless Courage; the bezant; one who has been found worth of trust and treasure. The motto may be translated" TO SERVE THE KING WITH GOODWILL. You can look in the Heraldery book at the library(if you can find one) and see if there is something different or even more to add.