English / Coat of Arms, Family Crest and English / Family History

English / Family History

The ancient origin of the name English was found in the irishsurnames.com archives. The name English is of locational origin. Variants of the name include Inglis, Angliss, Angless, Anglish, Englishby, Ingoldsby and England. After 1066 this name was commonly used as a distinguishing name for a non-Norman in the regions of most intensive Norman settlement. This name is of Anglo-Saxon descent spreading to the Celtic countries of Ireland, Scotland and Wales in early times and is found in many mediaeval manuscripts throughout these countries. Examples of such are a William le Englich who was recorded in 'Kirbys Quest' in the reign of edward III and a Richard Inglish who married Elizabeth Macland in Saint James, Clerkenwell, in the year 1668. In Scotland Thomas Engilsk gave up land he unlawfully bought in Shetland in the year 1485. The name English in Ireland is of Norman origin having been brought to the country in the thirteenth century by the l'Angleis family who established the Aingleis Sept along Gaelic lines. County Limerick was the main settlement point. Variants in Ireland include Englishby and even Gallogly.The English family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including English descendants.