Langran

This interesting name, well recorded in English church registers from the late 16th Century is ultimately of Welsh locational origin from Llangryn, a place north of Aberdovey in Gwynedd named with the Old Welsh "Lann", (Welsh "Llan"), an enclosure, yard or church, plus the Welsh personal name Eqryn; hence, "Eqrys's enclosure" or, "the church of Eqryn". On May 1st 1576, Jana Lanegrin, an infant, was christened in Bishop's Castle, Shropshire. Her brother, Matheus, (surname recorded as Lanegren) was christened there on September 20th 1584. On November 24th 1607, Dorithie Langran and Thomas Stokes were married in Winthorpe, Lincolnshire, and on June 6th 1624, Blanche Langeren, an infant, was christened in Kenwyn, Cornwall. The variant spellings Langring and Langren appear in London church registers in 1645 and 1646, respectively, and on August 14th 1715, Mary, daughter of Daniel Langran, was christened in St. Botolph's, Bishopsgate, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Lodovici Llanegrin, (witness at a christening), which was dated July 27th 1572, at Bishop's Castle, Shropshire, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, known as "Good Queen Bess", 1558 - 1603. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.