Case Family Crest, Coat of Arms and Name History

Case Surname Name Meaning, Origin, History, & Etymology
The Anglo-Saxon last name Case, of Norman French origin, is a metonymic occupational surname denoting a person who made a living in medieval times and the Middle Ages making chests, boxes, or receptacles from the French word casse, meaning case or container, which is ultimately derives from the Latin word capsa (a derivate of a verb meaning to contain or hold). In other cases, it may be an Americanized spelling of the French surname Caisse, or the German surnames Kaas or Käse, with the latter being an occupational name for a person who makes or sells cheese. An alternative origin theory is that the name derived from the surname name Cass, a medieval female given name that was short for Cassandra (the daughter of King Priam and Queen Hebuca in Troy according to Greek mythology). Yet another theory is the name means dweller at a manorial farm, from the Low Latin word casa. The last origin theory offered by Henry Barber in his 1903 book titled British Family Names, states the name is “from the Old Norse, Kaas; from the Danish, Casse, Kasse; from the Dutch, Kas, Kass, Caisse; from the Flemish, Cas, Casse, Casy; a personal name”.

The name first established itself in Norfolk, England, as Samuel Lewis, in his 1848 book titled A Topographical Dictionary of England, writes the following in regard to this name: “for more than two centuries [the parish has been] the property of the Case family, whose mansion of Testerton House, a handsome modern residence, is beautifully situated on the estate”.

In his book Patronymica Britannica, Mark Antony Lower, stated the following in regard to the Case surname “This name is found in the H.R. and may be the Anglo-Norman cas, chance, hazard-probably with reference to the character, or some incident in the life, of the first person who bore it. So Hazard has become a family name. A family in Devonshire thus designated account for it by a tradition that, about two hundred years since, a foundling was laid at the door of a certain gentleman, to whom popular scandal attributed its paternity; the gentleman denied the allegation, but from motives of humanity had the infant taken care of, and, from the circumstance of its having been enclosed in a packing-case, imposed upon the poor foundling this curious appellation. The French case, from Latin casa, a mean house, cottage, or hut, is, however, a more likely etymon”.

Spelling variations and names with similar etymologies include Cass, Casse, Casey, Cash, and Cawse. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 AD, a census of Wales and England, known in Latin as Rotuli Hundredorum, lists two bearers: Albric filius (son of) Cassandre, and Ralph filius Cassandre, both from Cambridgeshire. A one Stephen Case was recorded in Somerset in 1327 AD. The Poll Tax of Yorkshire lists Johannes Case in 1379 AD. The Case family motto is Distantia jungit, which translates from Latin to English as “It joins things that were apart”.

Popularity & Geographic Distribution
The last name Case ranks 813^th in popularity in the United Status as of the 2000 Census. The name ranks particularly high in the following eight states: Wyoming (283^rd), Idaho (351^st), Mississippi (378^th), Oregon (381^st), Nebraska (407^th), Michigan (425^th), Colorado (438^th), and Washington (474^th). The surname ranks in the top 500 names in each of these states.

The surname Case ranks as follows in the English-speaking world: England (1,748^th), Ireland (3,804^th), Scotland (2,934^th), Wales (1,098^th), Northern Ireland (8,430^th), Canada (2,128^th), Australia (1,564^th), New Zealand (4,250^th), and South Africa (8,044^th).

Henry Brougham Guppy, in his 1890 book Homes of Family Names, states the following in regard to this last name: “There was a family of Case in Swaffham 200 years ago, and the name is still in the town; the rector of Erpingham in 1628 bore this name. Philip Case was mayor of Lynn in 1764; and early last century, Mr. Case, attorney, of Mildenhale, Suffolk, held property in Holm – by – the – Sea (Bl.). This name occurred in Suffolk in the time of Edward I”.

Case Family Tree & Case Genealogy

Case of Ince
The Case genealogy or lineage of this branch of the family tree traces back to Richard Case of Hayton. His descendant was Jonathan Case, Esquire. Jonathan had a son named Thomas of Esquire of Red Hazles, county Lancaster, England, a Justice of the Peace. Tjomas married Margaret, daughter and co-heir of William Clayton, and had a son named Thomas. This son, Thomas Case, was an Esquire and merchant of Liverpool who was born in 1731. In 1775, he married Anna, daughter of John Ashton of Woolton Hall, and had two sons with her: Thomas (heir) and John Ashton. His son, Thomas Case, was an Esquire of Thingwall Hall, county Lancaster, born in 1777, who was a Justice of the Peace and Deputy Lieutenant. In 1801, he married Jane Sarah, daughter and co-heiress of Edward Holt of Ince Hall, and fathered three children with her: John Ashton (his heir), Jane Sarah (married Marmaduke Middleton and later Frederick Leacroft), and Emma Anna (married Arthur, son of William Le Blanc of London). His son and heir, John Ashton Case, was an Esquire of Ince, was born in 1804. In 1832, he married Caroline Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Walker of Blythe Hall, Notts, and Clifton House, co. York, and had issue as follows: Thomas Edward, Henry Ashton, Caroline Lucy (married Reverend C. Bullock), Emily June, and Ellen Juliet Ashton (married H.E. Davidson). His heir, Thomas Edward Case, Esquire of Ince, county Lancaster, England (modern day United Kingdom) was born in 1848.

Here is one pedigree or genealogical lineage of this family, which traces all the way back to the Middle Ages:
Richard Case of Nector (born in England c. 1530 AD, married Mary Anna Mitchell, daughter of Samuel David Mitchell)
William Case (born in Great Fransham, Norfolk, England c. 1560 AD, married Susan Mary Rodich)
William or Solomon Case (born in Aylesham, Kent, England in 1591, died on route to Boston, MA)
William Case (born prior to 1617, married Mary White)
Joseph Case (born in North Kingstown, Rhode Island in 1654)
Joseph Case (born in North Kingstown, Rhode Island in 1678)
Alexander Case (born in Rhode Island in 1710)
Elijah Case (born in South Kingstown, Rhode Island in 1753)
Elijah Case (born in Exeter, Rhode Island in 1776)

Charles Butler Case was born in Pennsylvania in 1921. He married Susanna Clayton and had one son with her. This son, James Baty Case, was born in Tyler, Virginia in 1859. He married Nancy Agnes, daughter of David Hamilton Cutlip and Mary Ann Ward, and they had a son named Clarence. Clarence Clayton Case was born in Cottle, West Virginia in 1884. In 1905, he married Mary Catherine Seabolt, and had numerous issue with her, including: Myrtle Agnes, Flossie Arella, Elsie Beatrice, Sylvia Levertie, Ernest Lee, Ina Catherine, Ella, Clara Isabella, Robert Thomas, Earl Franklin, Shawanaha, Edgar Hugh, and Rachel Maxine.

Some marriages involving the Case last name include:
1) William Case married Margery Maddoc in Cheshire, England in 1568
2) Monicke Case married Peter Browne in Norfolk, England in 1560
3) John Case married Katyren Swallowe in England in 1598
4) Thomas Case married Margery Johnson in Lichfield, England in 1577
5) Richard Case married Alice Yo(ung?) in Carisbrooke, Hampshire, England in 1645
6) William Case married Isabella Trigg in Stepney, Middlesex, England in 1713
7) Moses Case married Mary Hutchinson in Suffolk, New York in 1748
8) Hephzibah Case married Thomas Glean in Queens, New York in 1712
9) William Case married Mary Starky in Charlestown, Massachusetts in 1685
10) Charles S. Case married Lovisa R. Streeter in Gustavus, Ohio in 1850

Early American and New World Settlers
Some of the earliest known settlers in colonial American (and Canada) bearing this name include:
1) Richard Case came to Virginia in 1649
2) Elizabeth Case came to Northampton, Virginia in 1653
3) Robert Case came to Westmoreland, Virginia in 1654
4) William Case came to Newport, Rhode Island in 1655
5) Henry Case came to Maryland in 1668
6) Sarah Case came to Maryland in 1673
7) William Case came to Maryland in 1666
8) William Case came to Virginia in 1674
9) Jane Case came to Virginia in 1675
10) Margaret Case came to Virginia in 1677
11) Thomas Case came to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1685
12) Robert Case came to Virginia in 1690
13) Nathan Case came to Nova Scotia in 1760

Henry Case, a convict from Middlesex, England, came to Van Diemen’s Land (present day Tasmania), Australia aboard the Albion in 1823. Emmanuel Case came to Holdfast Bay, aboard the Canton in 1838. William Case came to Adelaide aboard the Canton in 1846. In 1878, Samuel G. Chase (born 1858), a Cornish farmer by trade, came to Canterbury, New Zealand aboard the Waikato in 1878.

Several thousand members of the Case family came to the United States through Ellis Island, during the nineteenth century, including:
1) David Case came from England aboard the City of Brussels in 1869
2) John Case came from Barbados aboard the Goyaz in 1907
3) Richard Case came from London, England aboard the Philadelphia in 1906
4) Heber Case came from England aboard the John Bright in 1868
5) Hiram Case came from England aboard the John Bright in 1868
6) Rosalie Case came from Bohemia aboard the Union in 1869
7) Alliene Case came from Montreal, Quebec, Canada aboard the Ivernia in 1903
8) Adelaide A. Case came from Sherlierne, England aboard the Mauretania in 1920
9) Jean Case came from Paris, France aboard the President Garfield in 1922
10) Mary Jane Case came from St. Austell, England aboard the Philadelphia in 1916

Notables
There are hundreds of notable people with the Case surname. This page will mention a handful. Famous people with this last name include:
1) Augustus Ludlow Case (1812-1893) was a rear admiral in the US Navy, born in Newburgh, New York, who served in the American Civil War, Mexican-American War, and the Paraguay Expeditiomn
2) Edward Case (1952) served as a member of the US House of Representatives from 1994-2002 and again from 2002-2007, born in the city of Hilo
3) Clifford Philip Case Jr. (1904-1982) served as a US Senator from New Jersey from 1955 to 1979 and as a member of the US House of Representatives from 1945-1953, born in the city of Franklin Park
4) Stoney Jarrod Case (1972) is a former NFL and AFL quarterback from Odessa, Texas whose career spanned from 1995-2008, who played for six different teams including the Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Storm
5) Cecil Charles Cole Case (1895-1969), nicknamed Box Case, was a professional cricket player for Somerset who plated from 1925 to 1935
6) John Case (d. 1600), or Johannes Casus, was an English writer on the Greek philosopher Aristotle who was born in Woodstock, Oxfordshire
7) Norman Stanley Case (1888-1967) who was a World War I veteran from Providence, Rhode Island who 56^th Governor of Rhode Island from 1928-1933 and was also the Commissioner of the FCC from 1934-1945
8) Stephen McConnell Case (1958) is an American businessman from Honolulu who was best known for being the CEO of America Online during the 1990s
9) Jeffrey Scott Case (1962) is a retired NFL football player whose career spanned from 1984-1995, playing for two teams: Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys, born in Waynoka, Oklahoma
10) George Washington Case (1915-1989) was a professional baseball player from Trenton, New Jersey who played in the MLB from 1937 to 1947, for two teams: Washington Senators and Cleveland Indians.

Case American Revolution Veterans
In the Revolutionary War (1775-1783), there were several soldiers with the last name Case:
1) Private Edward Case of Connecticut
2) Corporal Rufus Case of Connecticut
3) Private George Case of New York
4) Corporal Jesse Case of New York
5) Private Prince Case of Rhode Island
6) Lieutenant Stephen of New York
7) Private Thomas Case of New Jersey
8) Sergeant Dudly Case of Connecticut
9) Corporal Robert Case of New York
10) Private John Case of Virginia

Case American Civil War Veterans
There were many soldiers with the surname Case who served in the American Civil War (1861-1865):
1) Joseph Case fought for the Union as part of the 66^th Regiment Ohio Infantry
2) Leander H. Case fought for the Union as part of the 1^st Regiment Ohio Cavalry
3) Andrew A. Case fought for the Union as part of the 1^st Regiment Illinois Light Artillery
4) Henry W. Case fought for the Union as part of the 1^st Regiment Illinois Light Artillery
5) William J. Case fought for the Union as part of the 7^th Regiment Rhode Island Infantry
6) Lyman Case fought for the Union as part of the 20^th Regiment Michigan Infantry
7) Jack Case fought for the Confederacy as part of the 34^th Regiment Arkansas Infantry
8) Berry Case fought for the Confederacy as part of the
9) Patterson Case fought for the Confederacy as part of the
10) William R. Case fought for the Confederacy as part of the 39^th Regiment Georgia Infantry

Grantees of Arms
John Case of Berwick, son of Cornelius, son of Thomas, 1581 by Cooke
Jonathan Case of Red Hasles, Huyton, county Lancashire, 1771
Reverend Henry, Case to Norwood, of county Derby and Ladebroke, county Warwickshire
Case before Norwood, of Aldreton, county Derby, Norfolk, Warwickshire, and Suffolk

Blazons & Genealogy Notes

1) or Casse – Barry of six ar. and vert, over all a lion ramp. gu. Crest—On a globe betw. two wings a dove rising all ppr.
2) (Ince; and Red Hazels, co. Lancaster, and Thingwall, Hall, near Liverpool). (Hayton, co. Lancaster, 1664). Ar. on a bend engr. gu. cotised sa. three round buckles or, quartering Ogle and Clayton. Crest—A cubit arm habited erm. cuff ar., holding in the hand ppr. a round buckle or. Motto—Distantia jungit.
3) (Barwick). Ar. three bars vert, over all a lion ramp. gu. Crest—A dexter cubit arm erect, in armour or, holding in the gauntlet a sword ar. hilt and pomel gold, round the arm a scarf, the bow ar. and gu.
4) (Powick. co. Gloucester). Monument in Powick Church to Richard Case, High Sheriff of Worcester, 1761, whose mother was dau. and heiress of Richard Jesson). Ar. a chev. betw. three griffins’ heads erased gu. quartering az. a fess embattled or, betw. three cocks’ heads erased ar. for Jesson.
5) (Red Hazles, Huyton and Whiston, co. Lancaster; Thomas Case, Esq., of Huyton and Whiston, quartering Ogle and Clayton; his great-great-grandfather, John Case, Esq., of Red Hazles, Huyton, having m. Elizabeth, dau. and heir of Edward Ogle, Esq., and his great-grandfather, Thomas Case, Esq., of Red Hazles, having in. Margaret, dau. and heiress of William Clayton, Esq., of Fulwood). Ar. on a bend engr. gu. cottised sa. three round buckles or, quartering Ogle, ar. a fess betw. three crescents gu., and Clayton, ar. a cross engr. sa. betw. four torteaux. Crest—A cubit arm habited erm. cuff az. holding in the hand ppr. a round buckle or. Motto—Distantia jungit. These arms were confirmed and a crest granted to Thomas Case, of West Chester, gentleman, by Seger, Norroy, 21 Dec. 41 Queen Elizabeth.