Warren is a common surname throughout most English speaking countries. And, as a surname, we think of it as English, because it is. In its current form, the name Warren was first used in England. However, it's initial origins are different: it's a Norman name.
Behind the Name's surname site states that Warren is derived from "warrene" which is Normah French for "enclosure"; the word has Germanic origins because -- well -- the Normans were originally Norse...hence their name (Normans = Norsemen).
Through my research into my own past, I've discovered the name to have two meanings. Firstly, the one Behind the Name Gave. The second is also of Norman origin; however, it's slightly different. One of my Warren branches descends from a man named Guillaume de Varrene, Earl of Surrey. La Varrene is a place in France; I wonder if it, too, means "enclosure".
The other branch of my Warren family members descends from Hamelin Plantagenet de Warrene, Earl of Surrey. Hamelin was the son of Geoffrey Plantagenet, Comte d'Anjou et Maine. Hamelin's grandfather was King Fulk V of Jerusalem, Comte d'Anjou.
So, how do the two lines meet? They meet with the marriage of Guillame's great-granddaughter, Isabel de Warrene, and Hamelin's grandson, William de Warrene, Earl of Surrey.
Currently, I'm working on how to establish a connection between King Fulk V and Guillame. Guillame was forty years older than Fulk; I wonder if he was an uncle, great-uncle, or some other male relative, since the name de Warrene is found in both lines.
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