Hangs History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Hangs

What does the name Hangs mean?

The name Hangs is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in an area that was referred to as the ing, which means the meadow by a river. 1 The name could also have been a baptismal name as in son of Inge. 2

"Ing is an ancient clerical name in [Buckinghamshire]. Roger Inge was rector of Maid's Moreton in 1291; and John Inge was vicar of Stanton - Barry in 1425." 3

Early Origins of the Hangs family

The surname Hangs was first found in Leicestershire where the first record of the family was found c. 1160 when the Latin form Inga was recorded. This entry may have been a forename but more likely a surname. As a forename, we continue with Inga filia Thoire in the Assize Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1202 and later Inga of the Hull in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1332.

As a surname, John Ing was found in the Curia Regis Rolls for Gloucestershire in 1212 and later William Ingge was found in the Assize Rolls for Staffordshire in 1283. Reginald de Inga was recorded in the Pipe Rolls for Essex in 1162 and later, Ralph de Ging was found in Devon in 1245. 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had two listings for the family: John Inge, Oxfordshire; and William Inge, Huntingdonshire. 2 Robert Inge was rector of Salthouse, Norfolk in 1327. 5

Early History of the Hangs family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hangs research. Another 132 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1315, 1480, 1484, 1488, 1496, 1504, 1511, 1527, 1528, 1684, 1753 and 1807 are included under the topic Early Hangs History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hangs Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Hangs are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Hangs include: Inge, Ing and others.

Early Notables of the Hangs family

Notables of the family at this time include Hugh Inge or Ynge, (1527-1528) Achbishop of Dublin and Lord Chancellor of Ireland, born at Shepton Mallet, Somersetshire. He became a scholar of Winchester College in 1480, and in 1484 became scholar, and in 1488 fellow, of New College, Oxford, where he graduated in arts and resided until 1496. He travelled in foreign parts, and received the degree of D.D. from a continental university, being incorporated in the same degree at Oxford on 3 April 1511. He...
Another 85 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hangs Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hangs family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Hangs or a variant listed above: Richard Inge settled in Jamaica in 1690; Richard Inge settled in Nevis in 1654.

Sources +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print