Enfinger History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Enfinger

What does the name Enfinger mean?

The history of the Enfinger family name begins after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in the county of Berkshire, England.

Early Origins of the Enfinger family

The surname Enfinger was first found in Berkshire where they were Lords of the Manor of Englefield. "This parish, which comprises 1379a. 3r. 16p., derives its name from the Saxon word Ingle, a fire or beacon light; and probably had its origin about the middle of the ninth century, when the Danes, having made themselves masters of Reading, sent out a detachment from their army to attack the Saxons, who were encamped here, and who drove them back with great loss." 1 Gilbert and Stephen, held their land here from the Norman Chief tenant, Williams FitzAnsculf c. 1086. Enfield in a parish in the union and hundred of Edmonton, Middlesex. "This place is in Domesday Book called Enefelde, denoting its situation among fields, or in the felled part of a forest." 1

Early History of the Enfinger family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Enfinger research. Another 68 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Enfinger History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Enfinger Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Enfield, Emenfield, Enestfield, Enfeld, Endfield, Enefele, Inglefield and many more.

Early Notables of the Enfinger family

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

Migration of the Enfinger family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Enfinger or a variant listed above were: George Enfield who arrived in New Jersey in 1772.

Contemporary Notables of the name Enfinger (post 1700) +

Grant Enfinger (b. 1985), American professional stock car racing driver

Sources +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.