Show ContentsOlinger History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Olinger is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Olinger comes from St. Leger. "The St. Legers came from Caen in Normandy (Chron. of Battel Abbey, p. 59), and a family tradition asserts that the patriarch, Robert, was not only present at William's invasion in 1066, but actually supported him with his hand as he quitted the ship! There are six places bearing this name mentioned in the Itin. de la Normandie. Its Latinization is De Sancto." 1

Another source notes that it was a "name of a warlike king of the Saxons in the Nibelungen Lied, which occurs in some local names in Anglo-Saxon charters, as Ludegarsttin and Lutegáreshale, which latter Kemble thinks may be Ludgershall, in Wiltshire." 2

Saint Leodegar (or Leger), known as Leodegar of Poitiers (Latin: Leodegarius; French: Léger; c. 615-679) was a martyred Burgundian Bishop of Autun.

Early Origins of the Olinger family

The surname Olinger was first found in Kent where Robert St. Leger was granted estates at Ulcombe and became Lord of the Manor of Ulcombe. "Ulcombe Place and manor belonged to the family of St. Leger, of whom Sir Robert, of an ancient house in Normandy, is said to have supported the Conqueror with his hand when landing on the Sussex coast. The present edifice, [(church)] which is in the later English style, contains some very old monuments to the St. Legers." 3 He also held estates at Bexhill in Sussex.

Early History of the Olinger family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Olinger research. Another 220 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1440, 1441, 1475, 1476, 1483, 1496, 1526, 1535, 1536, 1540, 1544, 1555, 1558, 1559, 1560, 1563, 1571, 1572, 1583, 1584, 1585, 1589, 1596, 1600, 1613, 1618, 1619, 1621, 1627, 1631, 1650, 1665, 1678 and 1767 are included under the topic Early Olinger History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Olinger Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include St.Leger, Leger, Legere, Sallinger, Sellinger, St. Ledger and many more.

Early Notables of the Olinger family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Thomas St Leger KB (c. 1440-1483) second son of Sir John St Leger (d.1441) of Ulcombe, Kent, and his wife, Margery Donnet. He was executed on 13 November 1483, at Exeter Castle, despite the offer of large sums of money on his behalf.Sir John St Leger (died 1596), of Annery in the parish of Monkleigh, Devon, was an English landowner who served in local and national government. He was the son of Sir George St Leger (c.1475-1536), of Annery, by his wife, Anne Knyvett, daughter of Sir Edmund Knyvett of Buckenham. He...
Another 182 words (13 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Olinger Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Olinger Ranking

In the United States, the name Olinger is the 5,606th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 4

Ireland Migration of the Olinger family to Ireland

Some of the Olinger family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 249 words (18 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Olinger migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Olinger or a variant listed above:

Olinger Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Peter Olinger, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1762 5
  • Philip Olinger, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1762 5
  • Geo Olinger, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1765 5
Olinger Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Olinger, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1860 5
  • Cesarine Olinger, aged 43, who settled in America, in 1892
  • Michel Olinger, aged 35, who immigrated to the United States, in 1894
  • Charles Olinger, aged 31, who immigrated to the United States, in 1895
  • Elisa Olinger, aged 26, who landed in America, in 1896
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Olinger Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Martin Olinger, aged 36, who landed in America, in 1909
  • Mrs. Martin Olinger, aged 36, who settled in America, in 1909
  • Helene Olinger, aged 9, who immigrated to America, in 1909
  • Albert Olinger, aged 18, who landed in America, in 1913
  • John Olinger, aged 56, who landed in America, in 1913
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Olinger (post 1700) +

  • Brian Olinger (b. 1983), American professional runner
  • William G. Olinger, American politician, Member of University of Nebraska Board of Regents, 1869-73; Member of Nebraska State House of Representatives, 1875 6
  • Robert L. Olinger, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Blacksburg, Virginia, 1924-34 6
  • Richard W. Olinger, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Dayton, Ohio, 1959-61 (acting, 1959-61) 6
  • R. J. Olinger, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Washington 2nd District, 1916 6
  • Henry W. Olinger, American politician, Farmer-Labor Candidate for U.S. Representative from Illinois at-large, 1922 6
  • Jean-Paul Olinger (b. 1943), Luxembourg Olympic fencer who competed at the 1960 Summer Olympics
  • Ralph "Rolf" Olinger (b. 1924), Swiss bronze medalist alpine skier at the 1948 Winter Olympics


The Olinger Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Haut et bon
Motto Translation: High and good.


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. 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)
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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