The first bearer of the name L'strange most likely took on this name based on an early member of the family who was a "stranger." Nicknames come from the category of surnames known as hereditary surnames
. They were adopted from a variety of sources including, physical characteristics, behaviour, mannerisms, and other personal attributes. L'strange would have been given to someone who was new in the village or parish. In the Middle Ages, the vast majority of people never traveled any more than thirty miles or so from the place of their birth. Travel and emigration was reserved for the nobility, by and large. The surname L'strange was derived from the Old French word estrange,
which meant foreign. This is a name associated with the Bretons
, a culture from the peninsula of Brittany
, in the northwest of France. Formerly known as Armorica, a possession of the Roman Empire
, this land consists of a plateau with a deeply indented coast and is broken by hills in the west. However, the region was renamed Britannia Minor by the Romans
, following the emigration of six thousand Britons
across the English Channel, an event which took place at the behest of the Roman Commander in Britain.
Early Origins of the L'strange family
The surname L'strange was first found in Derbyshire
where they held a family seat
as Lords of the manor of Pevell's Castle in the peak of Derbyshire
. Guido le Strange, son of the Duke of Brittany
was present at a joust with Owen, Prince of Wales
and the Scottish Prince. Guido le Strange was ancestor of the various baronial houses of L'Strange and Strange. "The church [in Wellesbourn-Hastings in Warwickshire] is partly Norman, and partly in the early English style, with a tower of later character, and contains a monument to the memory of Sir Thomas le Strange, lord-lieutenant of Ireland
in the reign of Henry VI." CITATION[CLOSE]
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Early History of the L'strange family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our L'strange research.Another 303 words (22 lines of text) covering the years 1160, 1255, 1296, 1267, 1324, 1305, 1349, 1320, 1349, 1332, 1361, 1353, 1375, 1611, 1682 and are included under the topic Early L'strange History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
L'strange Spelling Variations
There are many spelling variations
surnames, because 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 references to one individual with many 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. The name has been spelled Strange, Strang and others.
Early Notables of the L'strange family (pre 1700)
Notable of this family during the Middle Ages was Fulk le Strange, 1st Baron
Strange of Blackmere (1267-1324); John le Strange, 2nd Baron
Strange of Blackmere (1305-1349); Fulk le Strange, 3rd Baron
Strange of... Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early L'strange Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the L'strange family to Ireland
Some of the L'strange family moved to Ireland
, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.Another 101 words (7 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 L'strange family to the New World and Oceana
Records show the name L'strange in some of the earliest immigrant records of North America: Christian Strang who settled in New Jersey in 1685; followed by Christopher 1686; Caleb and Maria Strang settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1774.