Astland History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

Etymology of Astland

Astland is one of the many names that the Normans brought with them when they conquered England in 1066. The Astland family lived in Huntingdon. The name is also derived from the ancient baptismal name Ansell. That name is derived from the Germanic elements ans, meaning god, and helm, meaning protection or helmet. It derived some popularity from the fact that it was borne by a number of famous medieval churchmen. Notably, St. Anselm (c.1033-1109), the Benedictine monk was known as "the father of Scholasticism."

Early Origins of the Astland family

Early History of the Astland family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Astland research. Another 151 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1086, 1273, 1390, 1399, 1551, 1557, 1725 and 1782 are included under the topic Early Astland History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Astland Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Aslin, Aslen, Aslan, Asslin, Aslein, Ascelin, Asselin, Asselyn, Astlen, Aslyn, Asling and many more.

Early Notables of the Astland family

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

Migration of the Astland family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Astland name or one of its variants: John Aslein, who sailed to New York in 1811; and John Asslin, who was recorded in Ontario in 1879.