Lingo History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The distinguished surname Lingo emerged among the industrious people of Flanders, which was an important trading partner and political ally of Britain during the Middle Ages. As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Flemish surnames of this type frequently are prefixed by de la or de le, which mean of the or from the. The Lingo family originally lived in the parish of Lingen in the county of Herefordshire. The surname Lingo belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Lingo family

The surname Lingo was first found in Herefordshire where the village of Lingen still exists today. The village is listed in the Domesday Book as holding 2 manors, land for 7 ploughs, half a league of woodland and at that time was held by Ralph de Mortimer. 1 Limebrook Priory is located south of the village was founded before the time of Richard I by either Ralph de Lingen or Ralph de Mortimer and may be one of the two aforementioned manors. "The first recorded ancestor of this loyal family is Ralph de Wigmore, lord of Lingen, founder of the Priory of Lyngbroke. His son and grandson John took the name of Lingen." 2

Further to the north in Scotland where the name claims its origin from "the lands of Lingoch, now Lingo, in the parish of Carnbee, Fife." 3 In this case, the first record of the name was Vlfus de Lingoch. who witnessed a charter by Eggou Ruffus to the Priory of May early in the thirteenth century.

Early History of the Lingo family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lingo research. Another 107 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1466, 1500, 1506, 1510, 1514, 1554, 1560, 1612, 1638 and 1662 are included under the topic Early Lingo History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lingo Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Lingen, Lingane, Lingham, Lyngbroke and others.

Early Notables of the Lingo family

Prominent in the family at this time was

John Lingo (born ca. 1500-1510), was Vicar of St. Hilary, in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales from after 1554 through 1560

Lingo Ranking

In the United States, the name Lingo is the 9,007^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Lingo family

The records on immigrants and ships' passengers show a number of people bearing the name Lingo: a large family of Linganes headed by Bartholomew who settled in Prescott, Ontario, in 1825; George and John Lingen settled in Philadelphia in 1837.

Contemporary Notables of the name Lingo (post 1700) +

Walter Lingo (1890-1966), American Airedale Terrier breeder from La Rue, Ohio; he financed a National Football League franchise, called the Oorang Indians in 1922
Theocharis Docha Anthropotis "T. D. A." Lingo (1924-1993), American Army veteran, folk singer, radio personality, camp director and researcher from Chicago, Illinois
Jane Tunstall Lingo (1924-2007), American pioneering journalist, long-time employee of George Washington University from Washington DC
George Archibald Lingo (1901-1976), American Democratic politician from the territory of Alaska
Edward H. Lingo (1838-1927), Millsboro, Delaware-born, Texas lumberman., co-founder of the Lingo-Leeper & Company which grew to have more than 50 locations
Hayden W. Lingo (1907-1973), American pocket billiard enthusiast from Texas, often cited as "the man who invented the billiards game of One Pocket", inducted into the One Pocket Hall of Fame in 2006
Colonel Albert J. "Al" Lingo (1910-1969), American career Alabama Highway Patrolman who served as Director of the Alabama Department of Public Safety from 1963 to 1965

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/