Show ContentsAnkerville History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Ankerville family

The surname Ankerville was first found in Essex and Norfolk where "Osmond and Guy l'Angevin (probably brothers) both appear in Domesday 1: the former held the manor of Witham in Essex; the latter under the Count de Boulogne in Norfolk. From one or other of these descended William l'Angevin or Angevin, settled at Churchfield in Northamptonshire, who died in 1199, Another William (perhaps his son) in 1250 held, in addition, Waplode in Lincolnshire, and was father of a third William, who left an only child, Margaret, still a minor when her mother died in 1276." 2

In Norfolk the descendants of Guy l'Angevin, who was Lord of Bereford under Earl Eustace, continued till 1417. His grandson Sir Robert, "wrote himself sometimes de Massingham and sometimes de Thorpe, having lordships in these towns, and held seven fees, with those in Anmere, &c, about the year 1200 of the honour of Bologne." 3

Early History of the Ankerville family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ankerville research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1159 and 1273 are included under the topic Early Ankerville History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ankerville Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Angevine, Angevin, Angevile, Angeville, Angevynne, Angevyne, Angwin, Angwine, Angwyn, Angwyne, Ankerville, Ankervine, Ankwin, Angervine, Angerwin, L'Angerville, Langerville, Langwin, Langwyne, D'Angerville and many more.

Early Notables of the Ankerville family

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

Migration of the Ankerville family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Ankerville or a variant listed above: Daniel Angevine, who came to New York, NY in 1710; Lewis Angevine, who settled in New York, NY in 1710; Zachariah Angevine, who arrived in New York, NY in 1710.



  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 1 of 3
  3. Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print


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