Danher

This very unusual surname, recorded in Church Registers of London and France from the early 17th Century under the variant spellings Danh(i)er, Danhere and Danhur, is ultimately believed to be of French habitation origin from a now "lost" place, of uncertain location, called "Anher(e)" (with the fused preposition "de", of). All recordings of the name in London appear in the christening registers of the French Huguenot Church, Threadneedle Street, and concern the christenings of three children of Isaac(k) and Rachel Danher or Danhier: Rachel (March 8th 1618); Philipe (February 6th 1620); and Sara (February 15th 1624). The great French Huguenot immigration into England and Ireland occurred from the late 16th Century on, with a marked increase following the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes by King Louis X1V on October 22nd 1685. These new settlers brought with them several crafts and skills including glass-making, woollen weaving and cloth manufacture which served to reinforce or expand pre-existing industries. On February 6th 1620, Philipe Danher was christened at the French Huguenot Church, Threadneedle Street, and on May 19th 1697, Claude Danhere and Mansuotte Boussard were married at Bouvron, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France. The christening of their son, Jean (surname written as "Danhur"), also took place at Bouvron, on June 13th 1702. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Isaack Danhier, which was dated March 8th 1618, witness at the christening of his daughter, Rachel, at the Threadneedle Street French Huguenot Church, London, during the reign of King James 1 of England and V1 of Scotland, 1603 - 1625. 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.