Vance Family Immigration

The Vance name comes from the surname meaning "dweller in a pen." This surname meaning is from the Old English language. The Vance name was first found in East Lothian, Scotland. The Vance family was directly descended from the great baronial family of De Vaus, or De Vallibus, and there is still a castle of this name in Normandy. Vance is an ancient name, which was found in Scotland as early as 1174. The name was found in France and England in the 12th Century. The name came to Ireland in the 1700's. This name has various meanings. In France, the spelling is Vaus. Vaus means "the dales" or "Valles." In England, it means "Dweller near a small hill or burial mound." The name also means "the son of Van." Some of the first settlers were Thomas Vance who arrived in Philadelphia in 1820 with his children. William Vance settled in Wilmington, NC in 1804. Gilbert Vance settled in New Orleans in 1822. Virginia was not a state when the first Vance's came into the area. In 1620, Robert Vause at the age of 20 came on the ship named the Jonathan May. The Vance's began to flourish in the New World. On August 10, 1642, Robert Vaus, a merchant, was granted 1200 acres on Freshwater Creek. This land was granted for the transportation of 24 people. In 1750 Augusta County, VA, John Vance was ordered by the County Court to help build a road at Woods River. Woods River is now called New River. From 1750 to about 1764, John was living on Reed Creek. The Vance family legend tells us that the Vance's were some of the first settlers on and around the Clinch Mountain and near present day Abingdon, VA. Amanda Sturgill Hurley High School