Show ContentsAnkrom History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Ankrom

What does the name Ankrom mean?

In ancient Scotland, the first people to use Ankrom as a surname were the Strathclyde-Britons. It was a name someone who lived in Roxburghshire (Borders) at Ancrum, a small village which had earlier been called Alncromb, which literally meant "a bend in the river Ale."

Early Origins of the Ankrom family

The surname Ankrom was first found in Dumbartonshire, where they held a family seat in the lands of Ancrum from about the 11th century. "In 1252 John of Alnecromb appears as witness to a charter by Richard Burnard of Farningham to the monks of Melrose. In 1296 a writ was issued to the sheriff of Roxburgh, ordering him to restore to Richard de Alnecrum his forfeited lands. John de Allyncrum, was Clerk of Register and auditor of accounts in 1358. John de Allynerom, a Scottish merchant, who received in 1361 a safe conduct to England from Edward III is doubtless John of Allyncrum, a prominent burgess of Edinburgh, who, c. 1362, granted his lands of Crageroke to the Church of St. Giles, Edinburgh." 1

Early History of the Ankrom family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ankrom research. Another 142 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1358, 1361, 1370, 1567, 1684 and 1781 are included under the topic Early Ankrom History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ankrom Spelling Variations

The origin of rules governing the spelling of names and even words is a very recent innovation. Before that, words and names were spelled according to sound, and, therefore, often appeared under several different spelling variations in a single document. Ankrom has been spelled Ancram, Ancrum, Ancrumb, Anckrum, Ancromb, Allyncrum, Alncrum, Alyncrome, Allyncom and many more.

Early Notables of the Ankrom family

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


Ankrom migration to the United States +

The persecution faced in their homeland left many Scots with little to do but sail for the colonies of North America. There they found land, freedom, opportunity, and nations in the making. They fought for their freedom in the American War of Independence, or traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In both cases, they made enormous contributions to the formation of those great nations. Among them:

Ankrom Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Robert Kerr Ankrom, who arrived in Virginia in 1737 2
Ankrom Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • J. H. Ankrom, aged 45, who landed in America from Singapore, in 1907
  • Jacob Henry Ankrom, aged 46, who settled in America, in 1911

Contemporary Notables of the name Ankrom (post 1700) +

  • Scott Randall Ankrom (b. 1966), former professional American NFL football wide receiver
  • William Ankrom, American politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates 2nd District, 1895-96 3
  • Nora Ankrom, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from West Virginia, 2008 3
  • Michael Ankrom, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from West Virginia, 2008; Candidate for West Virginia State House of Delegates 17th District, 2012 3


  1. 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)
  2. 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)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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