This surname of ATYEO was derived from the Old English word 'ea'. The name of an ancient Devonshire family, who lived by a small river called the Yeo, a tributary of the river Cready. Almost every city, town or village extant in the Middle Ages has served to name one or more families. While a man lived in a town or village he would not be known by its name, as that would be no means of identification - all in the village would be so named. But when a man left his birthplace or village where he had been known and went elsewhere, people would likely refer to him by the name of his former residence or by the name of the land which he owned. Some had the name of a manor or village because they were lords of that place and owned it, but the majority descend from vassals of freeman who once had lived there. Early records of the name mention Geoffrey de la Ya, 1242 County Devon. John atte Yo was documented in the year 1327 in County Somerset and William Ateo was documented during the reign of Edward III (1327-1377) in County Somerset. A later instance of the name mentions Arthur Yeo who married Mary Dowling at St. Antholin, London in the year 1722. As early as the year 1100, it was quite common for English people to give French names to their children, and the earliest instances are found among the upper classes, both the clergy and the patrician families. The Norman-French names used were generally the names most commonly used by the Normans, who had introduced them into England during the Norman Invasion of William the Conqueror in 1066. |
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