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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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The name English comes from the Old English word "Englisc," originally used to describe the Angles as distinct from the Saxons. It also appeared in the Latinized form Anglicus. In the Scottish-English borderlands, it is thought that the name was used to refer to an Englishman or an English speaker, as opposed to a Gaelic speaker. 1 2

"The old Scottish form of ' English,' formerly applied to the descendants of Englishmen settled in Scotland, especially of prisoners taken by Malcolm III, from the northern counties in 1070. For years after that date, we are told, English servants or slaves were to be found in every village, and almost in every house. Singularly enough, the Baronet family, though of Scottish origin, deduce from William Inglis, who had, in 1395, a grant of lands and this surname from Robert III., for killing an Englishman on the borders-Anglus at Anglum occidendo; truly as odd an origin as surname ever had." 3

"A State document relating to a serious raid across the border in 1541, speaks of the attacking party as gathering 'to the number of fifty-two Inglismen' " 4

Early Origins of the English family

The surname English was first found in Berwickshire where one of the first records of the family was Richard Anglicus witnessed David's great charter to Melrose, a. 1153. A few years later, "Adam le Englis witnessed a confirmation charter of the fishery in Torduff, c. 1194-1211, and Walter Anglicus witnessed a charter by Alan, lord of Galloway to the Abbey of Kelso, a. 1208. In 1296 Rauf le Engleys was commanded "to answer at law as a man at the king's faith and peace to all having claims against him. Several individuals of the name rendered homage [to King Edward I of England] in 1296: Johan le Engleys of Berwickshire, Phellipe le Engleys, Wautier le Engleys, and Richard le Engleys, all three of Lanarkshire, and Mawcolum le Engleys of Perthshire." 5

Early History of the English family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our English research. Another 260 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1300, 1321, 1395, 1402, 1449, 1452, 1454, 1478, 1564, 1574, 1630, 1660, 1680, 1683, 1686, 1687, 1688, 1689, 1693, 1703, 1714, 1718, 1734, 1771, 1772, 1786, 1799, 1801, 1816, 1817, 1855, 1890 and 1942 are included under the topic Early English History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

English Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Inglis, Inglish, Inglys, English, Englys and others.

Early Notables of the English family

Notable amongst bearers of this family name during their early history was Archibald Inglis (b. circa 1630), an ordained minister, who was Rector of Glasow University from 1686-1689; Sir James Inglis of Cramond, who was created...
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early English Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

English World Ranking

In the United States, the name English is the 649th most popular surname with an estimated 44,766 people with that name. 6 However, in Canada, the name English is ranked the 943rd most popular surname with an estimated 5,761 people with that name. 7 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name English is the 285th popular surname with an estimated 157 people with that name. 8 Australia ranks English as 569th with 6,763 people. 9 The United Kingdom ranks English as 717th with 9,341 people. 10

Ireland Migration of the English family to Ireland

Some of the English family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

United States English migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

English Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Thomas English, (d. 1621), who arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 aboard the "Mayflower" 11
  • Annie English, who landed in Virginia in 1622 11
  • James English, who arrived in Virginia in 1622 11
  • Richard English, who arrived in Virginia in 1622 aboard the ship "James" 11
  • John English, who settled in Virginia in 1623
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
English Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William English, who arrived in Virginia in 1703 11
  • Charles English, who landed in Virginia in 1704 11
  • Margery English, who landed in Virginia in 1713 11
  • Theodosia English, who landed in Virginia in 1714 11
English Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Isabella English, aged 32, who landed in New York, NY in 1803 11
  • Alexander English, who arrived in South Carolina in 1803 11
  • Richard F English, who arrived in Maryland in 1807 11
  • Edward English, aged 28, who arrived in New York in 1812 11
  • Mr. English, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1822 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada English migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

English Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • John English, who settled in St. John's, Newfoundland, in 1757 12
  • Samuel English, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1757
  • Mr. Andrew English U.E. who settled in Home District [York County], Ontario c. 1784 13
English Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Jeremiah English, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1811
  • Mary English, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1833
  • Thomas English, aged 30, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Trafalgar" from Galway, Ireland
  • Elizabeth English, aged 30, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Trafalgar" from Galway, Ireland
  • James English, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1837
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia English migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

English Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Mary English, (b. 1781), aged 32, Irish servant who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Catherine" on 8th December 1813, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
  • Mr. Thomas English, English convict who was convicted in York, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 22nd September 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
  • Mr. James English, (b. 1815), aged 21, British servant who was convicted in Cape Town, South Africa for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Earl Grey" on 27th August 1836, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 16
  • Mr. William English, English convict who was convicted in Newcastle upon Tyne (Newcastle), Tyne and Wear, Northumberland, England for life, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 27th August 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 17
  • Mr. William English, English convict who was convicted in Ipswich, Suffolk, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Emerald Isle" on 25th June 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1842 18
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand English migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

English Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Joseph English, British settler, as the 2nd Detachment of New Zealand Corps of Royal New Zealand Fencibles travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Minerva" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th October 1847 19
  • Mr. William English, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Slains Castle" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 1st December 1852 20
  • J. English, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mermaid" in 1859 21
  • Mr. J. English, British settler travelling from Liverpool aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 19th October 1859 19
  • Miss Sarah English, (b. 1864), aged Infant, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Glenmark" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st January 1865 19
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name English (post 1700) +

  • Fanita English (1916-2022), Romanian-born American psychoanalyst and psychotherapist
  • Kim English (1970-2019), American electronica, soul, gospel, and house music singer, from Chicago, Illinois
  • Joe English (b. 1949), American musician, former drummer for Paul McCartney's band Wings
  • CariDee English (b. 1985), American fashion model
  • Brigadier-General Paul Xavier English (1888-1964), American Assistant Chief of Staff 7th Service Command (1944-1946) 22
  • James Edward English (1812-1890), American statesman, Governor of Connecticut and US Senator
  • William Hayden English (1822-1896), American Democratic politician, Representative from Indiana (1853-1861)
  • Thomas Dunn English (1819-1902), American physician
  • John English, Canadian recipient of the Order of Ontario for 2023
  • Lindel Beresford "Junior" English (1951-2023), Jamaican reggae singer who began his career in the early 1960s before relocating to England
  • ... (Another 20 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
RMS Lusitania

The English 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: Nobilis est ira leonis
Motto Translation: The wrath of the lion is noble

Suggested Readings for the name English +

  • English Family History by Nadine English Watson.
  • English-Robertson Families in America by Arthur Leslie Keith.
  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  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)
  5. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  6. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  7. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  8. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  9. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  10. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  11. 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)
  12. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  13. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  14. Convict Records of Australia (Retreived 2nd January 2021, retreived from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/catherine
  15. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
  16. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-grey
  17. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
  18. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emily
  19. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  20. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  21. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 5th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  22. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, February 29) Paul English. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/English/Paul_Xavier/USA.html
  23. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 10) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
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