Langel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Anglo-Saxon name Langel comes from when the family resided in Langley in five counties in ancient Britain. Literally, the place name means "long wood or clearing," from the Old English words "land" + "leah." The name has Saxon roots too as the oldest place we found was in Langley, Kent where it was listed as Longanleag in 814. The next earliest was in Wiltshire where Langelegh was listed in 940, both before the Norman Conquest in 1066. 1

Early Origins of the Langel family

The surname Langel was first found in Durham where they held a family seat from very ancient times. Some of the first records of the name were listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273: Thomas Langeleye in Oxford; Peter de Langlege in Wiltshire; and Ralph de Langleye in Kent. 2

Wakefield in the West Riding of Yorkshire was home to another branch of the family since early times. "In the reign of Edward the Confessor, it formed part of the royal demesnes; and, after the Conquest, was granted by Henry I. to William, Earl Warren, with whose descendants it remained till the reign of Edward III., when, in default of issue male, it escheated to the crown, and was given by that monarch to his fifth son, Edmund de Langley, upon whom he conferred the title of Earl of Cambridge, and who, in the reign of Richard II., was for his important services created Duke of York." 3

Some of the family were found in the North Riding of Yorkshire at Wykeham. "Wykeham Abbey, the seat of the Hon. Marmaduke Langley, who is lord of the manor and chief owner of the soil, is a neat mansion, standing in a finely wooded park about a mile south of the village." 3

Langley Castle is a restored medieval tower house, now operated as an hotel, situated in the village of Langley in the valley of the River South Tyne, Northumberland. This castle was never held by the Langley family but is so named because of its proximity to the village. Langley Chapel is a 17th century Anglican parish church, located near Acton Burnell, Shropshire, England.

Early History of the Langel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Langel research. Another 65 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1341, 1363, 1386, 1402, 1404, 1437, 1548, 1576, 1595, 1596, 1602, 1611 and 1679 are included under the topic Early Langel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Langel Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Langel has been recorded under many different variations, including Langley, Langlee, Langleigh and others.

Early Notables of the Langel family

Notables of the family at this time include Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, 1st Earl of Cambridge, (1341-1402), a medival prince; Thomas Langley (c.1363-1437), an English prelate, Dean of York, Bishop of Durham, twice Lord Chancellor of England, the second longest serving Chancellor of the Middle Ages; Sir Robert Langley, appointed Dean of York in 1386, though his...
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Langel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Langel family to Ireland

Some of the Langel family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Langel migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Langel or a variant listed above:

Langel Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Ulrich Langel, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1754 4

Langel Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Jules Langel, who arrived in Hancock County, Miss in 1904 4

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)