Derivation of The JONES Surname

The formation of a word from another word or base is called its derivation.  Sort of like a "word" family tree as might be viewed  in our world of genealogy.  The following diagram shows such a derivation for our surname JONES.

Sumerian writing started things off some time around 2800 BC. Symbols for sounds with the swipe of a little stick.  Who would have thought?  The Chaldean, then Hebrew languages soon followed giving the context, in words, for the first appearance of the name on the written thoughts of man. [ Recorded in the first book of Chronicles, chapter 25, verse 4 around 970 BC.]

When Alexander got around to taking the world by storm (334 - 325 BC), the Greek language became the language of the world.  Around 285 BC, the scholars in Alexandria translated the Hebrew writings into the Greek language which is called the Septuagint.  Little did they know that another group called the Romans would replace their language with that Latin.  (265 BC - 44 BC) 

It took the next 400 years for the Latin to be written by those of the Christian faith into the form that was to become the name JOHN.  With the spread of Christianity (600 AD - 1100 AD) the name of JOHN took on its on significance.  The Celtic Church, the Norman (French), the Anglo-Saxon and many other groups of folks took the name to give to their sons.  Each language giving its own pronunciation and spelling.  The Welsh of Celtic origins, had no "J" in their alphabet, and it took the Anglo-Saxon under Norman conquest to finally make the transliteration JOHN.  [Welsh "J" sound was written "Si".]  When the three Edwards [I,II, III], and finally the Tudors, ended the process of Welsh annexation [The Act of Union, 1536]  the name JOHN was transliterated to become the surname JONES.  This was often the case when one of those Welshmen told their names in the English courts as William ap John ap Thomas ap Rys ap Peter... are you kidding me...I am not going to write that down in these English records.  Besides, you have to speak English now, and that sounds like JONES to me!

Well, there you have it... the derivation of the JONES surname.  Who would have believed it?

The First JONES Family 1312

Matilda Jones was the first to carry the JONES surname in English records 1279 AD. [As discovered to date.]  I thought it would be of interest to present the first JONES family that I have been able to establish in the English records.  By this, I mean the first family to be recorded as "husband", "wife", "son", and "daughter".  His name was Philip Jones and his wife was named Edith.  They appear 20 August, 1312 in Warwickshire as husband and wife.  The documents of this family continue from 1312 to the 3rd of March 1389/90!  The following map shows the position of Warwickshire (home to Philip), in relationship to Huntingdonshire (home of Matilda).

In 1086 (Domesday account), Warwickshire consisted of two sections.  One being mostly isolated farms, and one being cultivated farms on open land.  The first "Earl of Warwick" was named from lands inherited here and his family was to play a large part in my own JONES family in Wales.

The documents of Philip and Edith Jones can be found in Gregory family of Stivichall, Warwickshire, Catalogue Ref. DR10.  In Documents of Title, Deeds and Papers, Kingshill in Stoneleigh, the name Philip Jones appears as witness among many others. (ref. DR10/1118)  Over the next 40 years, Philip Jones had certain "tenements" by 1320.  The records show that Philip had a son and daughter, brother, sister-in-law, and father.  On 10 December 1352, Philip is described as "son of" William Jones. 

The land of Philip Jones (has tenements on both sides) is joined by the lands of "Thomas de Thorndon".   The Thornton family becomes connected to my Jones family for generations to come!

Well say hello to Philip and Edith Jones.  The first JONES family to find the light of English records.

[A detailed account and analysis of this JONES family is contained in my research notebook #21.]

Jones In Virginia 1623 - 1666

My own JONES surname family tree climbing starts in Virginia...at least on this side of the great pond.  Over the years [now 53 of them] genealogy has involved a study of land grants and patents.  For me, this has involved a great deal of research into these subjects from the earliest settlement of Virginia.  My research is contained in a series of notebooks that cover many topics and areas of interest. [ See my blog entitled:  The Jones Genealogist Research Notebooks.]  Notebook #205 contains my work on a coding system of those who's JONES surname appears in the abstracts of Virginia land patents and grants 1623 - 1666. [ Cavaliers and Pioneers by Nugent.]  The table below is a copy of a page from this collection.

It is basically a chronology of the JONES surname as it appears with Elizabeth (JO-1) and runs to Evan (JO-651).  It was my attempt to help separate (by coding) the many, many, and many JONES who shared the same first name.   These folks were then arranged alphabetically [in this notebook] so that one could "look-up" a first name, and then research how this group, sharing this first name, could be organized and studied.  For me, this was necessary since my JONES family tree had so many branches which crossed one another.   Wow...who would have thought that this method helped open several important doors to the past, and helped cross the great pond to the other side.