The surname Mann cannot be traced to a single country, though we do know that it originated in either England or Germany. Etymology may be defined as the history of a word, revealed through the analysis of its parts, and by tracing its roots to past times and even to foreign languages. Such a study is of particular interest when applied to a name. It is of interest to note that the etymological roots of the surname Mann can be found in a nickname given to a fierce or strong man. Written documents are an easy prey for the natural destructiveness of time; thus it is often no mean task to discover records of some of the earliest individuals who used a particular surname. In the case of Mann, however, meticulous investigations have yielded most interesting results: The earliest written reference to someone with this surname pertains to a certain Henry le Man, mentioned in a document from the year 1273. Centuries ago, many families displayed mottoes – concise phrases which might express anything from a pun on the name to a religious or philosophical guiding principle – on scrolls,…
Coat of arms: Or on a chevron erminies between three l…