Pangborn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The distinguished surname Pangborn is of ancient English origin. It is derived from "Pangbourne," the name of a town in the county of Berkshire, and is thought to mean "Paega's stream."

Early Origins of the Pangborn family

The surname Pangborn was first found in the county of Berkshire, where the family held a family seat from ancient times. It is likely that the progenitor of the name was a native of Pangbourne, in the hundred of Reading, a large village and civil parish on the River Thames. The parish takes its name from a trout stream called the Pang, which runs through it. In October, 1838, excavators for the railway, at Shooter's Hill, found five human skeletons, of Roman vintage including spearheads, spurs, and battle-axes of British and Roman manufacture, urns of terra cotta, and a large quantity of coins of various Roman emperors.

Early History of the Pangborn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pangborn research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1185, 1273 and 1640 are included under the topic Early Pangborn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pangborn Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Pangborn include Pangborn, Pangburn, Pangbourne, Pangborne, Pangburne, Pangeburn and many more.

Early Notables of the Pangborn family

More information is included under the topic Early Pangborn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pangborn migration to Canada +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Pangborn or a variant listed above:

Pangborn Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Alanson Pangborn, who landed in Canada in 1841

Contemporary Notables of the name Pangborn (post 1700) +

Rose Marie Pangborn (1932-1990), American scientist, in the department of Food Technology at the University of California, Davis (1955-)
Edgar Pangborn (1909-1976), American author
Mary Candace Pangborn (b. 1907), prominent American biochemist
Franklin Pangborn (1893-1958), American film actor

The Pangborn 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: Malo mori quam foedari
Motto Translation: I would rather die than be disgraced.