Looking into the Diamond family name has been an Amazing Journey. Researching into my Ancestors details has really brought them to life. I feel very priviliged in being able to have gotten an insight into the times they all lived in, and the sort of lives they had. 

 

My dad (Dilwyn Diamond) always said there had been a name change, (actually just the spelling has changed. No matter how the name is spelled, its still pronounced DIAMOND!), which he thought was around the time of his Great Grandad. After researching back to the mid 1600s,  there certainly has been a wide variation in the spelling of Diamond. But the reason is because the spelling was down to WHOEVER WAS WRITING IT DOWN at the time!

The final  change to the DIAMOND spelling was done in my Grandads (John/Jack Diamond), day.(see explanation in paragraph about  DIAMOND family crest)

 

John was born in 1900 as John DI-MOND but  the spelling of his last name changed to DIAMOND when my dad was born in 1924 and his 7 sisters afterwards.

 

Dad also mentioned there might be French or Spanish somewhere in history. He said that one of his Nans said it to him.

The records clearly show that all the male DIAMONDs, at least from the 1600s originate from Devon. And their partners either from Devon or Somerset. (But the name origin below does suggest that the introduction of the DIAMOND name into England 1100 years ago, originates from Brittany, France.) 

As an intersting sideline to this, when I was working at a printers in Plymouth in the early 1980s, I was doing some photocopying for a Geneologist. As we were talking he asked me my last name. When I told him it was Diamond, he replied 'Thats a Devonshire name!'

 

I hope you find the information interesting. If you would like to add or correct any information please get in touch. I would love to hear from you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Malcolm Diamond

2015