White Coat of Arms, Family Crest and White Family History

White Family History

The White ancient family history was found in the irishsurnames.com archives. White is a nickname meaning 'of fair complexion', from a person with pale skin. Variants include Whyte. This name is of Anglo-Saxon descent spreading to the Celtic countries of Ireland, Scotland and Wales in early times and is found in many mediaeval manuscripts throughout the above islands. Examples of such are a Geoffrey le Whyte, County Cambridgeshire, and a Roger le Whyte, County Sussex, who were recorded in the 'Hundred Rolls', England, in 1273 and a Thome White held land in Irvine, Scotland in 1426. A William White was recorded in the 'Close Rolls', in the reign of Edward III. Peregrin White, 1620-1704, was born on board the Mayflower, becoming the first child of English descent to be born in New England. In Ireland the name is popular in Ulster being introduced from England and Scotland with the Plantation. It is also used as a variant of the Irish names Bane, Bawn, Galligan and Kilbane.The White 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 White descendants.