Vinau

Recorded in many spelling forms including Vine, Vigne, Vyner (England), Lavigne, Devigne, Desvignes, Vinau, Vigne, Vignaux, Vignault, (France), Vingneri, Vignolo, Vignozzi, Vignone (Italy), Vina and Vinas (Spain & Portugal), Wein, Weine, Weins and Weiner (Germany), and many others, this surname is of Roman (Latin) origins. Deriving from the ancient word 'vinum' meaning wine, and recorded in almost every European country in its myriad localised forms, it is either a topographical name for someone who lived at vineyard, or an occupational name for a vine producer, or it derives from the popular personal name of endearment of the pre 5th century a.d.'Vinea', which actually means "sweet wine". The Romans spread the art of wine growing throughout their empire, wines being grown in England for instance, as far north as Yorkshire, and there are several places named Vineyard in the counties of Essex and Cambridgeshire, which may be sources of the later surname. The earliest examples of all surname recordings are generally to be found in England and Germany and examples taken from registers throughout Europe include Henry de la Vine in 1283, and Roger atte Vine in 1297, both in the records known as the 'London letter books', whilst Egkehard Weyne is recorded in Kassel, Germany, in 1420. Other recordings include Isaie Vigneule, the son of Eles Vigneule, born at Baronviller, Meurther-et-Moselle, France, on September 6th 1584, and Marguerite Vignaux, who married Paul Tisseire at Belflou, Aude, also France, on January 28th 1795. The first recorded spelling of the family name is believed to be that of Robert de Vigne. This was dated 1236, in the rolls known as "Liber Feodorum" for the county of Somerset, England.