Stringers History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Etymology of Stringers

What does the name Stringers mean?

The name Stringers is rooted in the ancient Norman culture that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It was a name for someone who was a strong or courageous person. Checking further we found the name was derived from the German word streng, of the same meaning. It evolved to be an occupational name for "one who made strings for bows." 1 2

"In war if a string break, the man is lost and is no man, and his weapon is gone, and although he have two strings put on at once, yet he shah have small leisure and less room to bend his bow, therefore, God send us good stringers both for war and peace." 3

Early Origins of the Stringers family

The surname Stringers was first found in Nottinghamshire where they held a family seat from early times, where they were Lords of the manor of Eaton, and were conjecturally descended from Fulk, who held the lands of Eaton from Roger de Bully at the time of the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086. 4 The lands, at that time, consisted of two mills and a garden. Eaton is the celebrated site of the Battle of the Idle in 617 between Redwald and Ethelfrith of Northumbria.

The name grew to become a "common Yorkshire name" 5 which we will explore shortly. First we will search through early rolls: Walter Stringere was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Wiltshire in 1194; and Roger le Strenger in Yorkshire rolls in 1293. 5

Early Somerset records show Godwynn Strenger, Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 6 The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include: Willelmus Strynger; Johannes Strenger; and Ricardus Stryngar as all holding lands there at that time. 7 In Scotland, it was a rather rare name but we did find "Laurence Stringhar [who was] admitted burgess of Aberdeen, 1486." 8

Early History of the Stringers family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stringers research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1574, 1575 and 1646 are included under the topic Early Stringers History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stringers Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Stringer, Stringar, Stringers and others.

Early Notables of the Stringers family

More information is included under the topic Early Stringers Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Stringers family

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Stringers or a variant listed above: Mr. Stringer who settled in Somers Island in 1662; Samuel Stringer settled in Virginia in 1622; followed by James in 1647; John in 1651; and Lettice in 1653.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. 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)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)