Lights History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Lights

What does the name Lights mean?

The ancient roots of the Lights family name are in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The name Lights comes from when the family lived in a clearing or glade. The surname Lights is derived from the Old English word leoht, which means light and is theorized to specifically mean light place in this case. The surname Lights belongs to the class of topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees.

Early Origins of the Lights family

The surname Lights was first found in Somerset where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Lights family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lights research. Another 70 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1529, 1546, 1564, 1578, 1588 and 1607 are included under the topic Early Lights History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lights Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Lights has appeared include Light, Lyte, Lite and others.

Early Notables of the Lights family

Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lights Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lights migration to Canada +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Lights arrived in North America very early:

Lights Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. George Lights U.E. who settled in Saint Andrews, New Brunswick c. 1784 1

Sources +

Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X