Ensign History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Ensign family

The surname Ensign was first found in Kent where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 13th century when they held estates in that county.

Early History of the Ensign family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ensign research. Another 145 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1177, 1455, 1487, 1510, 1552 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Ensign History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ensign Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Ensign has been recorded under many different variations, including Ensing, Ensin, Ensign, Ensigne, Insin, Insing and others.

Early Notables of the Ensign family

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

Ensign Ranking

In the United States, the name Ensign is the 15,523^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Ensign migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Ensign or a variant listed above:

Ensign Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

James Ensign, who arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1635 2

Ensign Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

G H Ensign, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 2
Mr. Ensign, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 2

Ensign migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Ensign Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Norman Ensign, who landed in Canada in 1831

Contemporary Notables of the name Ensign (post 1700) +

Sean Ensign (b. 1972), American singer-songwriter
Howard Ensign (1919-2002), American entomologist
Tod Ensign, American veteran's rights lawyer and Director of Citizen Soldier
Michael Ensign (b. 1944), American actor
John Eric Ensign (b. 1958), former United States Senator from Nevada
F. Howard Ensign, American Democratic Party politician, First Selectman of East Hartford, Connecticut, 1915; Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from East Hartford, 1922
Ely Ensign, American politician, Mayor of Huntington, West Virginia, 1896-97
Eli Ensign, American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Canaan, 1831
Charles A. Ensign, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Simsbury, 1912
Austin Ensign, American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Hartland, 1833-34
... (Another 12 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)