Ankier History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England
• Ireland

Etymology of Ankier

The distinguished surname Ankier first came to England in the wake of the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is derived from the Old French "anchier," meaning "anchorite" or "religious recluse," and was likely first bestowed as a nickname on someone with a reclusive or fanatically religious character.

Early Origins of the Ankier family

Early History of the Ankier family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ankier research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1208, 1379, 1395 and 1877 are included under the topic Early Ankier History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ankier 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 Ankers, Anker, Ankier, Anchor, Annacker, Annercaw and others.

Early Notables of the Ankier family

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

Migration of the Ankier family to Ireland

Some of the Ankier family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 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 Ankier family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain. 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 Ankier or a variant listed above: Thomas Anchor, who settled in Boston in 1646; John Ankers, who was living in New York in 1835; John Anchor, who was recorded in the 1871 census of Ontario, and Neil Anker, who was naturalized in California in 1878..