Abyngton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Abyngton family

The surname Abyngton was first found in Cambridgeshire at the Abingtons which consist of two villages: Little Abington and Great Abington; both date back to the Domesday Book of 1086 and were collectively known as Abintone at that time. 1

Abington Pigotts was established about the same time and had a similar listing in the Domesday Book. These locations are derived from the Old English personal name + "ing" + "tun," and literally meant "estate associated with a man called Abba." 2

Abington (St. Peter And St. Paul), is also a parish, in the hundred of Spelhoe, union, and S. division of the county, in Northamptonshire. Abingdon is a borough and market-town in Berkshire. According to a manuscript in the Cottonian library, in the time of the Britons, it was a city of considerable importance, and distinguished as a royal residence, to which the people resorted to assist at the great councils of the nation.

To the Saxons, it was called Scovechesham, or Sewsham; but it acquired the name of Abbendon, "the town of the abbey" in 680. After the establishment of the monastery, Offa, King of Mercia, on a visit to Abingdon, was so pleased with the area that he erected a palace there, in which he and his immediate successors, Egferth and Cenwulf, frequently lived. The monastery continued to flourish until 871, when it was destroyed by the Danes. 3

Early History of the Abyngton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Abyngton research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1260, 1418, 1447, 1497, 1553, 1560, 1586, 1605, 1647 and 1654 are included under the topic Early Abyngton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Abyngton Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Abington, Abbington, Abingdon, Abbingdon, Habington, Habbington, Habbindon, Habbingdon, Habbington and many more.

Early Notables of the Abyngton family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Henry Abyngdon, Abingdon or Abington (ca. 1418-1497) was an English ecclesiastic and musician, thought to have been the first to receive a university degree in music. He succeeded John Bernard as subcentor of Wells on Nov. 24, 1447, and held that post till his death on Sept. 1, 1497, when he was succeeded by Robert Wydewe. Edward Habington, Abington, or Abingdon (1553?-1586), was one of the conspirators in the plot formed by Anthony Babington to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I. He...
Another 87 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Abyngton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Abyngton family

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Abyngton or a variant listed above: John Abingdon, who came to Maryland in 1651; Catherine A. Abington, who settled in Victoria, B.C. in 1862; William Abington, who arrived in Maine in 1642.

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.