This notable surname, now widely recorded in Jersey, the Channel Islands, is a particularly French form of the surname Raymond, itself coming from the
Old French male
given name "Raimund, Raimond", ultimately from the
Old German "Raginmund", a
compound of the elements "ragin", counsel, and "mund", protection. Initially introduced into England by the
Normans after the
Conquest of 1066, the name appears as "Raimundus" in the
Domesday Book of 1086 for Essex where the surname is also first recorded (see below). Surnames derived from given names are the oldest and most pervasive surname type, and in vernacular naming traditions (as distinct from religious), names were originally composed of vocabulary elements of the local language, and no doubt bestowed for their auspicious connotations. Further early examples of the name include: William Reimunt (Hampshire, 1207), and Ernald Reimund (Kent, 1208). On November 7th 1632, Rachel Remon and Jacques Ballaine were married at St. Peter's, Jersey, the Channel Islands, and in January 1644, Jine, daughter of Jacques Remon, was
christened at Angers, Maine-et-Loire, France. The marriage of Dorothy Remon to Thomas Jones took place at St. Dunstan's, Stepney, London, on January 19th 1702. A
Coat of Arms granted to the Remon family is a
black shield with a
chevron between three
silver eagles displayed, on a
gold chief, a rose enclosed between two
red fleurs-de-lis. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Giraldus Reimundus, which was dated 1086, in the Domesday Book of Essex, during the reign of King William 1, known as "William the Conqueror", 1066 - 1087. 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.