Lanoy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France

Early Origins of the Lanoy family

The surname Lanoy was first found in Bedfordshire (Old English: Bedanfordscir), located in Southeast-central England, formerly part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Bletsoe who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086.

Early History of the Lanoy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lanoy research. Another 137 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1386, 1462, 1510, 1531, 1600, 1663, 1717 and 1741 are included under the topic Early Lanoy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lanoy Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Lanoy are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Lanoy include Lannoy, Lanney, Lannier and others.

Early Notables of the Lanoy family

Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lanoy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lanoy Ranking

In France, the name Lanoy is the 7,847^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Lanoy family

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Lanoy, or a variant listed above: Philippe Delano (de Lannoy), a 19 years old Pilgrim thought to be of Flemish descent, who arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts on November 9, 1621, aboard the ship ".

Contemporary Notables of the name Lanoy (post 1700) +

André Lanoy, American film actor

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/