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![Show Contents]() Athelstan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
Early Origins of the Athelstan familyThe surname Athelstan was first found in Kent where Athelstan or Æthelstan (895-940), was King of the West-Saxons and Mercians, and afterwards of all the English, was the son of Eadward the Elder, and of a noble Lady Ecgwyn. "In all probability he was illegitimate, but by a recognised mistress of noble birth. Born during the lifetime of his grandfather Ælfred, Æthelstan was a favourite of the great West-Saxon king, who gave him as a boy a purple cloak, a jewelled belt, and a sword with a golden scabbard, no doubt to mark him out, in spite of his illegitimacy, as a right ætheling. When the young prince was six years old, Ælfred died. In 925, when Æthelstan was aged thirty, Eadward the Elder died, and the ætheling was at once chosen to succeed him." 1 Early History of the Athelstan familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Athelstan research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1219, 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Athelstan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Athelstan Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Athelstan are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Athelstan include: Athelstan, Athelston, Athelstone, Athilstan, Athilston and many more. Early Notables of the Athelstan familyMore information is included under the topic Early Athelstan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Athelstan familyMany English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Athelstan or a variant listed above: Reinholt Athelstone, aged 16, who arrived at Ellis Island from Alberta, Canada, in 1908.
| Contemporary Notables of the name Athelstan (post 1700) | + |
- Sir Maurice Athelstan King KA, QC (1936-2021), Barbadian lawyer, Attorney-General of Barbados from 1986 to 1989
- Athelstan Sigfrid Mellersh Rendall OBE (1914-2006), nicknamed Flaps Rendall, a British pilot, one of the earliest pilots to fly the new Bristol Britannia airliner
- Athelstan Rendall (1871-1948), British Liberal Party and later, Labour politician in the United Kingdom
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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