Show ContentsAngilly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

It was among those Anglo-Saxon tribes that once ruled over Britain that the name Angilly was formed. The name was derived from the Old English personal name Angel, which is derived from the Latin Angelus and the Greek Angelos, which means a messenger. The personal name also appeared in the feminine forms of Angela and Angelina. 1

The name is denoted for "one who acted as a religious messenger or as a messenger from God; a nickname for an angelic person; descendant of Angel, a man's name in England." 2

Early Origins of the Angilly family

The surname Angilly was first found in Lancashire where they held a family seat from very early times, some say before the Norman Conquest of England by Duke William in 1066 A.D. It is likely that this name originated in one of the conquering families of Angles who settled in Lancashire after the conquest of the Strathclyde Britons. The name was written in early records as Anglicus, but the name was carried from England to France as D'Anglars.

Early History of the Angilly family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Angilly research. Another 55 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1555, 1610, 1618, 1636, 1655 and 1694 are included under the topic Early Angilly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Angilly Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Angilly include Angell, Angel, Angle, Anegall, Anegal, Anegoll and others.

Early Notables of the Angilly family

Distinguished members of the family include John Angel (fl. 1555), Chaplain to King Philip and Queen Mary, is said to have been a 'person of singular zeal and learning.' John Angel or Angell (d. 1655), was 'a Gloucestershire man,' born towards the end of the sixteenth century. "He was admitted to Magdalen Hall, Oxford in 1610 and was ordained in holy orders; at...
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Angilly Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Angilly family

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Angilly were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: John Angell of England who settled in Rhode Island in 1631. In Newfoundland, Samuel Angell who settled in Petty Harbourin 1725; Samuel Angel was a fisherman of St. John's in 1790.



The Angilly 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: Stare super vias antiquas
Motto Translation: I stand in the track of my ancestors.


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print


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