Show ContentsSalinger History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Salinger is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Salinger comes from St. Leger. "The St. Legers came from Caen in Normandy (Chron. of Battel Abbey, p. 59), and a family tradition asserts that the patriarch, Robert, was not only present at William's invasion in 1066, but actually supported him with his hand as he quitted the ship! There are six places bearing this name mentioned in the Itin. de la Normandie. Its Latinization is De Sancto." [1]

Another source notes that it was a "name of a warlike king of the Saxons in the Nibelungen Lied, which occurs in some local names in Anglo-Saxon charters, as Ludegarsttin and Lutegáreshale, which latter Kemble thinks may be Ludgershall, in Wiltshire." [2]

Saint Leodegar (or Leger), known as Leodegar of Poitiers (Latin: Leodegarius; French: Léger; c. 615-679) was a martyred Burgundian Bishop of Autun.

Early Origins of the Salinger family

The surname Salinger was first found in Kent where Robert St. Leger was granted estates at Ulcombe and became Lord of the Manor of Ulcombe. "Ulcombe Place and manor belonged to the family of St. Leger, of whom Sir Robert, of an ancient house in Normandy, is said to have supported the Conqueror with his hand when landing on the Sussex coast. The present edifice, [(church)] which is in the later English style, contains some very old monuments to the St. Legers." [3] He also held estates at Bexhill in Sussex.

Early History of the Salinger family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Salinger research. Another 220 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1440, 1441, 1475, 1476, 1483, 1496, 1526, 1535, 1536, 1540, 1544, 1555, 1558, 1559, 1560, 1563, 1571, 1572, 1583, 1584, 1585, 1589, 1596, 1600, 1613, 1618, 1619, 1621, 1627, 1631, 1650, 1665, 1678 and 1767 are included under the topic Early Salinger History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Salinger Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled St.Leger, Leger, Legere, Sallinger, Sellinger, St. Ledger and many more.

Early Notables of the Salinger family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Thomas St Leger KB (c. 1440-1483) second son of Sir John St Leger (d.1441) of Ulcombe, Kent, and his wife, Margery Donnet. He was executed on 13 November 1483, at Exeter Castle, despite the offer of large sums of money on his behalf.Sir John St Leger (died 1596), of Annery in the parish of Monkleigh, Devon, was an English landowner who served in local and national government. He was the son of Sir George St Leger (c.1475-1536), of Annery, by his wife, Anne Knyvett, daughter of Sir Edmund Knyvett of Buckenham. He...
Another 182 words (13 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Salinger Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Salinger family to Ireland

Some of the Salinger family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 249 words (18 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Salinger migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Salinger or a variant listed above were:

Salinger Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Christian Salinger, aged 34, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Creole", he died in 1846
  • Mrs. Dor. Salinger, aged 34, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Creole", she died in 1846
  • Mr. Adam Salinger, aged 2, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Creole", he died in 1846
  • Alexander Salinger, who landed in Arkansas in 1874 [4]

Contemporary Notables of the name Salinger (post 1700) +

  • Pierre Salinger (1925-2004), White House Press Secretary to U.S. Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson
  • Matt Salinger (b. 1960), award winning American actor and son of author J. D. Salinger
  • Diane Louise Salinger (b. 1951), American actress and voice actress
  • Conrad Salinger (1901-1962), American music arranger-orchestrator and composer
  • Jerome David "J. D." Salinger (1919-2010), American novelist, best known for his 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye
  • Pierre Emil George Salinger (1925-2004), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Senator from California, 1964 [5]
  • Max Salinger, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Hudson County, 1893-94 [5]
  • Elise Salinger (1942-1998), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Arizona State House of Representatives 20th District, 1997-98 [5]
  • Benjamin I. Salinger (1861-1931), American politician, Justice of Iowa State Supreme Court, 1915-20 [5]


The Salinger Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Haut et bon
Motto Translation: High and good.


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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