Stringfellow History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Stringfellow is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. Stringfellow was a name used for a strong person. Stringfellow is a nickname surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Nicknames form a broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, and can refer directly or indirectly to one's personality, physical attributes, mannerisms, or even their habits of dress. This surname derives from the Old English words streng and felaw, which mean strong and fellow. However, some believe that the name was an occupational name for "the stringer, a marker of bow-strings." 1 As far as the origin of the name, this source continues "All surnames with the suffix '-fellow' seem to have sprung from the North of England, especially from co. York."

Early Origins of the Stringfellow family

The surname Stringfellow was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat. This curious name emerged during the 12th century when it was the custom to adopt a nickname to assert one's prowess and stature in battle. Notable amongst this type of name was Strongbow, sobriquet of the Earl of Pembroke in his invasion of Ireland in 1172. Strongitharm may be a corruption of one English branch of the Scottish Clan Armstrong. Strongfellow, the first version of Stringfellow, and conjecturally all three names are of the Yorkshire branch of Armstrong. Both Strongfellow and Stringfellow have registered the same Coat of Arms and thus seals the obvious connection between these two names. The Yorkshire reference is of no doubt as early rolls revealed: John le Strengfelagh was listed in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield; 2 Laurencius Stryngefelagh was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls in 1379 1; and finally John Strynefelowe was listed in Yorkshire in 1489. Some of the family appeared in Cheshire in early times too, as seen by John le Stengfelagh in 1308; and John Strengfellow, of Openshaw, who was listed in the Wills of Chester in 1616. The same the same source listed Richard Strengfellow, of Rochdale in 1617.

Early History of the Stringfellow family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stringfellow research. Another 34 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1530, 1799 and 1883 are included under the topic Early Stringfellow History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stringfellow Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Stringfellow include Strongfellow, Stringfellow and others.

Early Notables of the Stringfellow family

Distinguished members of the family include

John Stringfellow (1799-1883) English inventor

Stringfellow Ranking

In the United States, the name Stringfellow is the 7,003^rd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3

Stringfellow migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Stringfellow were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Stringfellow Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Stringfellow who landed in Pennsylvania in 1682

Stringfellow Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Stringfellow, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1835 4
John Stringfellow, who landed in Philadelphia in 1858
Geo Stringfellow, aged 29, who arrived in New York in 1864 4
George Stringfellow, aged 3, who landed in New York in 1864 4
Hannah Stringfellow, aged 27, who arrived in New York in 1864 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Stringfellow migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Stringfellow Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

S. W. Stringfellow, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "City of Auckland" in 1870
Thomas E. Stringfellow, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "City of Auckland" in 1870

Contemporary Notables of the name Stringfellow (post 1700) +

Joseph Elbert Stringfellow (1918-1992), American NFL football tailback for the Detroit Lions in 1942
Thornton Stringfellow (1788-1869), American pastor of Stevensburg Baptist Church in Culpeper County, Virginia
Benjamin Franklin Stringfellow (1840-1913), American Confederate officer and spy who survived the American Civil War and later became an Episcopal minister; during the war he was a personal scout for Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart and crossed into union territory multiple times and had bounty of $10,000 on his head
Douglas R. Stringfellow (1922-1966), American Republican politician, U.S. Representative from Utah 1st District, (1953-1955) 5
Frank William Stringfellow (1928-1985), American lay theologian
Benjamin Franklin Stringfellow (1816-1891), American lawyer, Missouri Attorney General, one of the founders of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad
Savanté Stringfellow (b. 1978), American gold and silver medalist Olympic long jumper, Men's Long Jump Best Year Performance (2002)
Ian Robert Stringfellow (b. 1969), English former professional football player who played from 1985 to 2003, nephew of Mike Stringfellow
Michael David "Mike" Stringfellow (b. 1943), retired English footballer who played from 1960 to 1975
John Stringfellow (1799-1883), English flight pioneer, known for his work on the Aerial Steam Carriage with William Samuel Henson
... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html