Drake / Coat of Arms, Family Crest and Drake / Family History

Drake / Family History

The Drake ancient family history was found in the irishsurnames.com archives. Meaning 'the drake', this is a surname of nickname origin describing a duck or goose. 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 these countries. Examples of such are a Seman Drake who was recorded in the 'Hundred Rolls' in the year 1273. A Ricardus Drake and a Johannes Drac were both recorded in the 'Poll Tax' of the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, in the year 1379. Sir Francis Drake (1540-1596), was the renowned sea admiral and politician. In Ireland most families of the name are of Cromwellian origin settling at Drakestown in County Wexford in the seventeenth century. Earlier bearers of the name settled in the thirteenth century and were among the leading families in County Meath. The Drake 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 Drake descendants.