Engelant History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the bearers of the Engelant family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in a meadow beside water. The surname Engelant originally derived from the Old English word Engelond 1 which referred to a meadow beside a rushing river. As such, the surname is topographic; that is, a name derived from a geographical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. 2

Another source has this theory about the variant England: "It seems quite absurd to have adopted the name of one's country while still residing in it, as a family name; but I am inclined to think that it was first given to an Englishman when living in a foreign country, and that he, on his return, continued to use it. Or, England may possibly be the name of some obscure locality of which the family were anciently possessed, just as the Hollands take their name, not from the land of Dutchmen, but from a district of Lincolnshire. " 3

Another source claims the word England is from the Anglo-Saxon Englaland c. 890 and means "land of the Angles." 4

Early Origins of the Engelant family

The surname Engelant was first found in Yorkshire where some of the first records of the family were found listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. The following entries all denote landholders: Alicia de Ingeland; Isabella Ingeland; Willelmus Ingland; and Robertas Ingland. 2

Looking back further, we found Nicholas de Engelond was listed in the Assize Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1260; and William de Engelond was listed in the Assize Rolls of Cheshire in 1295. Later, John Ingelond (Engelond) was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Essex in 1327. 5

Early History of the Engelant family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Engelant research. Another 181 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1560, 1717, 1720, 1721, 1730, 1740, 1748, 1788 and 1814 are included under the topic Early Engelant History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Engelant Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Engelant include England, Englund, Englend and others.

Early Notables of the Engelant family

Distinguished members of the family include Thomas Ingeland (fl. 1560), English dramatist, studied, according to his own account, at Cambridge, and is said to have belonged to Christ's College. 6Edward England (died 1721), born Edward Seegar in Ireland, was a famous African coast and Indian Ocean pirate captain from 1717 to 1720. According to Forbes, he was the twelfth highest earning pirate having a wealth of over 8 million in today's dollars.George...
Another 72 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Engelant Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Engelant family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled 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 ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Engelant or a variant listed above: John England who was one of the founders of Charlestown Massachusetts in 1620; and another John England settled in Virginia in 1622; Humphrey England and his son settled in Virginia in 1636..

Citations +

Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print