Show ContentsLavingham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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Lavingham Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Lavingham

What does the name Lavingham mean?

The ancestors of the name Lavingham date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Lavingham family lived in the region of Langham in various counties throughout England. 1

"There are places called Langham in cos. Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, and Rutland. The baronet's family originated in the last-mentioned county. In 10. Edward I. Henry de Langham held three carucates of land in Langham, and from him the pedigree is regularly deduced." 2

Early Origins of the Lavingham family

The surname Lavingham was first found in Dorset, England where Walter de Langham was recorded in the Pipe Rolls for 1201. Later, William de Langham was recorded in 1327 in the Subsidy Rolls for Leicestershire. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls for 1273 included: William de Langham, Suffolk; Henry de Longeham, Lincolnshire; and Dionis de Langham, Norfolk. 4

Over in Suffolk, Lambert de Langham was found there in the Subsidy Rolls for 1283. 3

Simon Langham (d. 1376), Archbishop of Canterbury, Chancellor of England, and Cardinal; "was born at Langham in Rutland. To judge from the wealth which he seems to have possessed, he was probably a man of good birth. He became a monk at St. Peter's, Westminster, possibly about 1335, but is not mentioned until 1346, when he represented his house in the triennial chapter of the Benedictines held at Northampton. In April 1349 he was made prior of Westminster, and on the death of Abbot Byrcheston on 15 May following succeeded him as abbot." 5

Early History of the Lavingham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lavingham research. Another 118 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1380, 1381, 1383, 1384, 1401, 1410, 1557, 1575, 1621 and 1647 are included under the topic Early Lavingham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lavingham Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Lavingham are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Lavingham include: Lanham, Landham, Lavenham, Lavingham and others.

Early Notables of the Lavingham family

Richard Lavenham or Lavyngham (fl. 1380), Carmelite, was "born at Lavenham, Suffolk, and, after becoming a Carmelite friar at Ipswich, studied at Oxford, where he is said to have graduated D.D.; but in the colophon to his tract against John Purvey he is called simply 'magister' (Fasciculi Zizaniorum, p. 399, Rolls Ser.). Lavenham was afterwards prior of the Carmelite house at Bristol. He was confessor to Richard II, and a friend of Simon Sudbury, archbishop of Canterbury. De Villiers, on the authority of a reference in Polydore Vergil (p. 403, ed. 1557) to a Carmelite called Richard, says that Lavenham was...
Another 166 words (12 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lavingham Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Lavingham family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Lavingham or a variant listed above: Henry Lanham settled in Maryland in 1758; William Lanham settled in Philadelphia in 1820.

  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print

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