England
A surname for someone linked to England, most likely originally used for an Englishman abroad or from a place called England.
The #1,174 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 10,317 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname comes from the country name England, built from Old English elements meaning “land of the Angles.” In medieval records it appears as forms like Engelond. As a surname, it was probably first applied to someone identified as English, especially while living outside England, though it may also sometimes have been taken from a minor local place with the same name.
History
Lower notes the surname in medieval records and suggests a practical nickname for an Englishman in foreign parts, with the possibility of a local-place origin in some families. That explanation fits the general pattern of surnames formed from ethnic labels. The name remains established in Britain and is also fairly common in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname is one of the few that directly matches the name of a country, which is why early writers found its origin a little odd.
From the historical record
“ENGALL. The same as Li&old. ENGLAND. Engelond occurs several times in U.R. as a surname, Avithout any prefix. It seems quite absurd to liave adopted the name of one's country while still residing in it, as a family name; but I am inclined to think that it was first given to an Englishman when living in a foreign…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom