Trengoff History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England
• Ireland

Etymology of Trengoff

The proud Trengoff family originated in Cornwall, a rugged coastal region in southwestern England. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. The Trengoff family originally lived in the village of Nanfan, in Cornwall. Members of the family were involved in the blacksmith trade and prior to the 18th century often went by the occupational name Trengove, from the Cornish words tren meaning strong, and angove, meaning smith. Many used the name Trengoff of Nance.

Early Origins of the Trengoff family

Early History of the Trengoff family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Trengoff research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1521, 1547, 1553, 1561 and 1720 are included under the topic Early Trengoff History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Trengoff Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and 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 of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Nance, Trengove, Trengoff, Trengrove and others.

Early Notables of the Trengoff family

Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Trengoff Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Trengoff family to Ireland

Some of the Trengoff family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Trengoff family

A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Trengoff: Alice Nance and her husband settled in Virginia in 1639; Nancy Nance arrived in Philadelphia in 1820.