Menier

Menier
This most interesting and unusual surname is of early medieval English origin, and is a topographical name for a "dweller by the long stone or menhir". The derivation of the name is from the Breton "men", stone, and "hir", long. A menhir is a single standing stone, often carved, dating from the middle Bronze Ages in the British Isles and from the late Neolithic Age in Western Europe. Topographical surnames were among the earliest created, since both natural and man-made features in the landscape provided easily recognisable distinguishing names in the small communities of the Middle Ages. The surname was reintroduced into England by the French Huguenots. During the mid to late 17th Century thousands of French Huguenots fled to England and other countries, to escape religious persecution on the Continent, especially after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes by Louis X1V in 1685. In the modern idiom the surname has many variant spellings ranging from Mennear, Menier, Menure and Menere, to Meneyer, Meneer, Manhare and Menear. Recordings of the surname from London Church Registers include: the christening of Arnold, son of John Mener, on October 24th 1585, at St. Katherine by the Tower; the christening of Madelaine, daughter of Jonas and Elisabette Menier, on November 4th 1610, at Threadneedle Street French Huguenot Church; and the christening of Mara, daughter of Samuel and Susanna Menear, at St. Mary's, Marylebone Road, on March 27th 1825. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Elizabeth Manhare, which was dated October 22nd 1560, christened at St. Mary Somerset, London, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, known as "Good Queen Bess", 1558 - 1603. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Surnames reference. 2013.

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  • Menier — may refer to: Places: Port Menier, Quebec, a small fishing town located in Anticosti Island, Quebec, Canada Port Menier Airport, (IATA: YPN, ICAO: CYPN), located 2.7 NM (5.0 km; 3.1 mi) east of Port Menier, Quebec, Canada Chocolate:… …   Wikipedia

  • Menier — (spr. menjē), Emile Iustin, franz. Industrieller und Volkswirt, geb. 18. Mai 1826 in Paris, gest. 17. Febr. 1881 in Noisiel sur Marne, schwang sich durch Fleiß und Tüchtigkeit zum mehrfachen Millionär empor. In seiner Fabrik in Noisiel führte er… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Menier — Patronyme rencontré le plus souvent en Bretagne (22, 56), où il s agit d un nom de personne d origine germanique, Maginhari (magan = force + hari = armée). En pays occitan, où on le rencontre parfois aussi, c est un toponyme désignant une mine …   Noms de famille

  • Menier — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Menier peut désigne différentes : Menier (entreprise), une ancienne chocolaterie, propriété de Nestlé ; Antoine Brutus Menier (1795 1853), le… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Menier Island — (64°59′S 63°37′W / 64.983°S 63.617°W / 64.983; 63.617) is an island, largest in a small island group lying in the mouth of Flandres Bay, 4 nautical miles (7 km) northeast of Ca …   Wikipedia

  • Menier Chocolate — 1893 poster by Firmin Bouisset The Menier Chocolate company (French: Chocolat Menier) was a chocolate manufacturing business founded in 1816 as a pharmaceutical manufacturer in Paris, France at a time when chocolate was used as a medicinal… …   Wikipedia

  • Menier (entreprise) — 48° 51′ 27″ N 2° 37′ 22″ E / 48.857445, 2.622825 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Menier Chocolate Factory — Coordinates: 51°30′18″N 0°05′50″W / 51.5051°N 0.0972°W / 51.5051; 0.0972 …   Wikipedia

  • Menier family — The Menier family of Noisiel, France, was a prominent family of chocolatiers who began as pharmaceutical manufacturers in Paris in 1816. They would build a highly successful enterprise, expanding to London, England, and New York City, New York,… …   Wikipedia

  • menier — menié m. minerai ; mine …   Diccionari Personau e Evolutiu

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