The name Belan arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Belan family lived in Essex, where they held a family seat from the mid-13th century on. The name is taken from that of the village of Belencombre in the Dieppe region of Normandy where the family lived prior to Norman Conquest of England. It took its present form after being transferred to England at the time of the Conquest.
The surname Belan was first found in Essex, where they held a family seat after 1066. The name is associated with the village of Belencombre in the Dieppe region of Normandy and took its present form after being transferred to England with the conquest.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Belan research. Another 216 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1235, 1273, 1500, 1654, 1677, and 1794 are included under the topic Early Belan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Bellchamber, Belchamber, Bellchambers, Belchambers, Belencombre, Belencumbre, Bellchambe and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early Belan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Belan or a variant listed above: