Anchors History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The distinguished surname Anchors first came to England in the wake of the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is derived from the Old French "anchier," meaning "anchorite" or "religious recluse," and was likely first bestowed as a nickname on someone with a reclusive or fanatically religious character.

Early Origins of the Anchors family

The surname Anchors was first found in the northern counties of England. After the Norman Conquest, natives of Normandy left their native land to settle in England; it is thought that the Anchors family is descended from a Norman settler who bore the name Anchier.

Early History of the Anchors family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Anchors research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1208, 1379, 1395 and 1877 are included under the topic Early Anchors History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Anchors 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 Ankers, Anker, Ankier, Anchor, Annacker, Annercaw and others.

Early Notables of the Anchors family

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

Migration of the Anchors family to Ireland

Some of the Anchors family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Anchors family

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 Anchors or a variant listed above: Thomas Anchor, who settled in Boston in 1646; John Ankers, who was living in New York in 1835; John Anchor, who was recorded in the 1871 census of Ontario, and Neil Anker, who was naturalized in California in 1878..