Bellhanger History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Bellhanger is a name whose history on English soil dates back to the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066. The Bellhanger family lived in Nottingham in the midlands of England. However, the family was originally descended from the Bellengers, the Knights of Facomberg in Picardy, France and the name has been corrupted from the name of the French Boulanger family, who were chevaliers (knights) of Hainaut and Flanders.

Early Origins of the Bellhanger family

The surname Bellhanger was first found in Worcestershire where John Belinger was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1275. 1

From this earliest record, we move to 16th century London where William Bellinger is buried at St. Peter, Cornhill in 1563; and the same church records show Thomas Bland and Rose Bellynger married at that time. William Bellinger and Dorothy Ferrybye were married in 1572-3 and later, Richard Ashman and Joan Belinger were married in 1620. 2

Early History of the Bellhanger family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bellhanger research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1468, 1469, 1477, 1642 and 1721 are included under the topic Early Bellhanger History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bellhanger Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Ballenger, Ballinger, Bellinger, Bellenger and others.

Early Notables of the Bellhanger family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Francis Bellinger (died 1721), an English physician, an original member of the Spalding Society. John Bellinger was a "bookseller in London; Cliffords...
Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bellhanger Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bellhanger family to Ireland

Some of the Bellhanger family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 162 words (12 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 Bellhanger family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Bellhanger or a variant listed above were: Frederick Bellinger who settled in New York State in 1710; Henry Bellinger settled in New York in 1709; Marcus Bellinger arrived in New York in 1710; Ann Bellinger settled in Barbados in 1654.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)