Show ContentsConger History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the bearers of the Conger family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in the town and civil parish of Congleton in the county of Cheshire. The surname Conger belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Conger family

The surname Conger was first found in Cheshire where Congleton dates back to before the Domesday Book where it was listed as Cogeltone, land held by Bigod. At that time,there was land enough for four ploughs, and was worth four shillings. [1]

By the 13th century, the place was often spelt Congulton and is probably derived from the Old English words cung + hyll + tun, which literally meant "farmstead at the round-topped hill." [2] Baron Congleton, of Congleton in the County Palatine of Chester, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom created for Sir Henry Parnell, 4th Baronet but bears no relationship to the surname's origin other than both share the same ancestral home. Today Congleton has a population of over 25,000.

Alternatively, the name could have originated in "the old barony of Congalton, in the parish of Dirleton, East Lothian, Scotland. The family, however, may have come from Congilton in Cheshire and given that name to their new possession." [3]

Some of the first records of the family were found here, specifically Robert de Congaltoun, who witnessed a charter of Richard de Morville, Constable of Scotland, circa 1162. Later, Walter de Congilton witnessed an agreement between the Abbey of Neubotel and John de Morham c. 1214 and also witnessed a charter of Dryburgh Abbey, c. 1224. Wautier de Congeltone and Mabille de Cungiltone, both of the county of Edneburke, rendered homage to King Edward I in 1296. [3]

Early History of the Conger family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Conger research. Another 171 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1424, 1430, 1477, 1506 and 1548 are included under the topic Early Conger History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Conger Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Conger include Congleton, Congalton, Congilton and others.

Early Notables of the Conger family

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

Conger Ranking

In the United States, the name Conger is the 4,401st most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. [4]


United States Conger migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Conger or a variant listed above:

Conger Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • D Conger, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 [5]
  • S Conger, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 [5]

Contemporary Notables of the name Conger (post 1700) +

  • Arthur Latham Conger Jr. (1872-1951), American theosophist
  • Lester Myekl Conger, officer in the United States Army
  • Clement Ellis Conger (1912-2004), American museum curator
  • Wilson Seymour Conger (1804-1864), merchant and political figure in Canada West
  • Abraham Benjamin Conger (1887-1953), United States federal judge
  • Edward Augustus Conger (1882-1963), prominent American federal judge in New York City
  • Harmon Sweatland Conger (1816-1882), U.S. Representative from New York
  • James Lockwood Conger (1805-1876), American politician
  • Richard Conger (1921-1970), American Major League Baseball pitcher
  • Everton Judson Conger (1834-1918), American Civil War officer
  • ... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


Suggested Readings for the name Conger +

  • The Conger Family of America by Maxine Crowell Leonard.

  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. 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)
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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