(Anglo-French-Latin) Of the Manors [Old French manoir, a mansion—manoir, maneir, to dwell; Latin manere] Dugdale states that the ancestors of the Rutland (Manners) family were ‘persons of great note in Northumberland for in 25 Henry II. Henry de Maners paid 80 marks for livery of his father’s lands in that country.’—Burke’s Peerage, &c.

The name was Latinized de Maneriis

According to Camden and other antiquaries, this noble family had their denomination from the village of Mannor, near Lanchester, co. Durham. They were certainly influential in the northern counties, and Collins traces the name to a William de Manner, who flourished temp. William Rufus. The pedigree is deduced by him from Sir Robert de Manners, lord of Etal in Northumberland, several generations anterior to the reign of Henry III.

(French.) From Menoir, and that from the Latin Manere, to stay or to abide. Lands granted to some military man or baron by the king, a custom brought in by the Normans.

Manners, first Earl of Rutland, soon after his creation, told Sir Thomas More that he was too much elated by his preferment, and really verified the old proverb, "Honores mutant Mores."

"Nay, my lord,"retorted Sir Thomas, "the proverb docs much better in English, 'Honors change Manners'"

It is the opinion of Camden that this family received its name from the village of Manor, near Lanchester, in Durham, England.

Camden and others derive this name from the village of Mannor, near Lanchester, co. Durham. The name is probably of German origin; perhaps from Mannhardt (whence Maynard); from man-hart, a strong or powerful man, or mund-hart, powerful protector. Mannersdorf is the name of several market towns of Austria. One of these (in Hungary) is also called Menharsdorf, in Hungarian Menyhard. Mannhartsberg is the name of a wooded mountain range of Austria, which termi­nates near the Danube.

Or De Maneriis, from Mesnieres near Rouen, granted probably t. Rollo to Mainer, a Viking ancestor. It was held as half a knight’s fee t. Philip Augustus by the Abbey of Lyre. The family of Mesnieres long continued in Normandy, Ralph and Roger de Mesnieres being mentioned 1198 (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae), and William de M. 1232, whose descendants continued to be of consequence till c. 1400, when the male line ceased. Bichard de Manieres came to England 1066, and in 1086 held from Odo of Bayeux, Borne, Kent, and Benested, Surrey (Domesd.). He was father of Tirel de Manieres, who, with Helias de St. Saen, a neighbouring noble, devoted himself to the cause of William Clito, the dispossessed heir of Robert of Normandy, and the legitimate heir to the throne. These faithful adherents of Clito lost their estates, and had to endure extreme sufferings on his behalf. On his death-bed he recommended them to his uncle, King Henry I., who accepted their submission. Tirel de Manieres, who was surnamed 'Peregrinus,’ or 'the Wanderer,’ from his adventures with William Clito, granted the church of Benested, Surrey, to St. Mary Overy t. Henry I. (Mon. ii. 85), and gave the manor of Benested in free marriage with his dau. to William Earl of Salisbury. Hugh de Maniere, his son, was also surnamed ‘Peregrinus,’ and with his son Richard ‘Peregrinus,’ or de Manieres, made grants in Hants to Waverley Abbey (Manning and Bray, ii. 146). He had another son, Robert, who is mentioned in the charters, and whose gift, as well as that of his brothers, was confirmed by Eugenius III. in 1147 (Mon. Angl. ii.). Robert, a son of Hugh Manieres above-named, held part of a fee Northumberland, 1165. His sons, Walter and Thomas de Maners, witnessed a charter of William de Vesci, 1178 (Mon. ii. 592). Their elder brother, Henry, had issue Reginald de Manieres, who witnessed a charter of Hugh, Count of Eu, temp. John (Mon. ii. 921), and as ‘De Maisneriis’ is also mentioned in Normandy 1198 (MES), at which time Ralph and Eoger M. are also mentioned in Normandy (Ibid.). From Reginald descended the house of Manners of Ethal, Northumberland; and thence the Lords Eos of Belvoir, Earls and Dukes of Eutland, Barons Manners, and Viscounts Canterbury. From another branch descended Baldwin de Maners, a baron by writ, 1309.

From the Flemish, Mannaers, Mannaerts; a personal name.

Manners: properly Myners, from Mesnières, near Rouen. Richard de Manieres came to England with the Conqueror, and held under Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, land in Kent and Surrey (Domesday).

The Wilts family of Manners may be able to find their origin in the circumstance that the House of Rutland once owned land in different parts of the county, as in Rowde.