Show ContentsEngelyn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The present generation of the Engelyn family is only the most recent to bear a name that dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name comes from having lived in a meadow beside water. The surname Engelyn 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 Engelyn family

The surname Engelyn 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 Engelyn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Engelyn 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 Engelyn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Engelyn Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Engelyn include England, Englund, Englend and others.

Early Notables of the Engelyn 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 Engelyn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Engelyn family

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Engelyn were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: 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..



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


Houseofnames.com on Facebook