Linegar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Linegar was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Linegar family lived in Cheshire. Linacre was an English topographic name for someone who lived near a field where flax was grown for the manufacture of linen cloth. It derives from the Old English word lin, meaning flax, and the word aecer, meaning cultivated field. Individual cases of the surname may be derived directly from this source, or second-hand from the towns of Linacre in Lancashire and Cambridge, both of which get their names from this source.

Early Origins of the Linegar family

The surname Linegar was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Linacra in 1086. 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, the family name is conjecturally descended from Godwin de Linacra, a Norman Baron, as noted in 1086. However, it is likely that soon after, they gave their name to Linacre across the River Mersey from Meols, now a suburb of Liverpool and in the parish of Walton on the Hill.

Early History of the Linegar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Linegar research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1460, 1500, 1518, 1524 and 1620 are included under the topic Early Linegar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Linegar Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Linacre, Linaker, Leneker, Linneker, Liniker, Linnecar, Linnecor, Linegar, Linnegar, Lineker, Lynaker, Lynacre, Lynneker, Lenniker and many more.

Early Notables of the Linegar family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Thomas Linacre (c1460-1524) humanist and physician who was born in Canterbury. Eramus and Sir Thomas More were taught Greek by him and about 1500...
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Linegar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Linegar Ranking

In Newfoundland, Canada, the name Linegar is the 659^th most popular surname with an estimated 67 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Linegar family to Ireland

Some of the Linegar family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Linegar family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Linegar or a variant listed above: James Linacre, who settled in New York in 1796.

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)