Show ContentsIngelan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Of all the Anglo-Saxon names to come from Britain, Ingelan is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived in a meadow beside water. The surname Ingelan originally derived from the Old English word Engelond 1 which referred to a meadow beside a rushing river. As such, the surname is topographic; that is, a name derived from a geographical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. 2

Another source has this theory about the variant England: "It seems quite absurd to have adopted the name of one's country while still residing in it, as a family name; but I am inclined to think that it was first given to an Englishman when living in a foreign country, and that he, on his return, continued to use it. Or, England may possibly be the name of some obscure locality of which the family were anciently possessed, just as the Hollands take their name, not from the land of Dutchmen, but from a district of Lincolnshire. " 3

Another source claims the word England is from the Anglo-Saxon Englaland c. 890 and means "land of the Angles." 4

Early Origins of the Ingelan family

The surname Ingelan was first found in Yorkshire where some of the first records of the family were found listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. The following entries all denote landholders: Alicia de Ingeland; Isabella Ingeland; Willelmus Ingland; and Robertas Ingland. 2

Looking back further, we found Nicholas de Engelond was listed in the Assize Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1260; and William de Engelond was listed in the Assize Rolls of Cheshire in 1295. Later, John Ingelond (Engelond) was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Essex in 1327. 5

Early History of the Ingelan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ingelan research. Another 181 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1560, 1717, 1720, 1721, 1730, 1740, 1748, 1788 and 1814 are included under the topic Early Ingelan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ingelan Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Ingelan has been spelled many different ways, including England, Englund, Englend and others.

Early Notables of the Ingelan family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Thomas Ingeland (fl. 1560), English dramatist, studied, according to his own account, at Cambridge, and is said to have belonged to Christ's College. 6

Migration of the Ingelan family

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Ingelans to arrive in North America: John England who was one of the founders of Charlestown Massachusetts in 1620; and another John England settled in Virginia in 1622; Humphrey England and his son settled in Virginia in 1636..



  1. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  6. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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