Show ContentsLavinghan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Lavinghan

What does the name Lavinghan mean?

The Anglo-Saxon name Lavinghan comes from when the family resided 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 Lavinghan family

The surname Lavinghan 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 Lavinghan family

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

Lavinghan 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. Lavinghan has been recorded under many different variations, including Lanham, Landham, Lavenham, Lavingham and others.

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

Migration of the Lavinghan family

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 Lavinghan 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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