About The West/Thorp Family
Please sign in to see more. The origins of the family name WEST.
The use of surnames appears to have started in about the year 1000, introduced to the British Isles by the Normans during the 11th Century. They were a way of further identifying people, many of whom had the same Christian name and lived in the same place. They were usually patronymic (e.g. John son of Richard), local (e.g. John by the Brook), a trade name (e.g. John the Smith) or a nickname (e.g. John the Little).
The name West is local, meaning "from the west", and early records show Maurice de West in 1152 residing in Colchester, Essex and a Goche West was listed in the Pipe Rolls in Norfolk in 1197 - having settled in the region "from the west".
The ancient family motto was JOUR DE MA VIE (French), meaning "Day of my life".
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