The illustrious surname Trengough finds its origin in the rocky, sea swept coastal area of southwestern
England known as
Cornwall. Although surnames were fairly widespread in medieval
England, people were originally known only by a single name. The process by which
hereditary surnames were adopted is extremely interesting. As populations grew, people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. Under the
Feudal System of government, surnames evolved and they often reflected life on the manor and in the field. Lords and their tenants often became known by the name of the
feudal territory they owned or lived on. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored
patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used
local surnames. This was due to the heavy political and cultural influence of the English upon the
Cornish People at the time that surnames first came into use.
Local surnames were derived from where a person lived, held land, or was born. While many Cornish surnames of this sort appear to be topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees, many are actually habitation surnames derived from lost or unrecorded place names. The name Trengough is a local type of surname and the Trengough family 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 Trengough family
The surname Trengough was first found in
Cornwall where they held a
family seat from early times. The family name Trengough first appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.
Early History of the Trengough family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Trengough research.
Another 167 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1720, 1521, 1561, 1553, 1547 and 1547 are included under the topic Early Trengough History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Trengough 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 Trengough family (pre 1700)
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Trengough Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Trengough family to Ireland
Some of the Trengough family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 69 words (5 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 Trengough family to the New World and Oceana
An examination into the immigration and passenger lists has discovered a number of people bearing the name Trengough: Alice Nance and her husband settled in Virginia in 1639; Nancy Nance arrived in Philadelphia in 1820.