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Name Variants

Angliss, Anglis, Angless Anglish, Anglus, Angleis, Anglys, Angluis, Angles and Anglise – all these are variants of the name Angliss seen in the 1881 Census and other sources.

A relatively uncommon surname Angliss has a surprisingly simple and direct derivation. P H Reaney and R M Wilson in A Dictionary of British Surnames give three versions of the name - Angliss, Angless and Anglish - and suggest it is a corruption of the French ‘anglais’ meaning an Englishman. Angliss is therefore a toponymic name i.e. a name which is an adjective or noun denoting nationality, province, county, town etc of the bearer.

The first recorded Angliss, according to Reaney and Wilson, was one Nicolaus Angleis of St Pancras, London in about 1200.

The spelling of the name has been fluid through the centuries with individuals and members of the same family recorded using different versions. Benjamin Angliss of Foleshill, near Coventry, Warwickshire (son of Benjamin Angliss Senior and Clara Ann Tipper) appears in the 1881 census as Benjamin Angless but in the record for his christening he appears as Benjamin Angliss. Elsewhere Benjamin Senior appears as Anglish. Similarly the Angliss family in Tadley, Hampshire are variously Angliss, Angless and Anglis.

There is an Angless Road in Kenilworth near Coventry (at one time there was an Anglis Lane in Coventry itself although sadly this is more likely to be a corruption of St Agnes Lane, the name by which it is always known today).

A cursory examination of the 1901 Census shows families using variant spellings right into the early 20th century. In this respect the Anglisses keep illustrious company. Fellow Warwickshireman William Shakespeare, a man who was patently not illiterate, spelled his name in various ways including Shakespeare, Shakespere, Shakespear, Shakspere and even Shaxpere. According to P H Reaney in the Origin of English Surnames the spelling of a surname could be down to the vagaries of the clerk or parson keeping the parish record or even be subject to the affects of local accent or dialect.

Some of the variation in spelling is no doubt due to the level of literacy of the name bearers and equally to the accuracy and ability of the modern day transcribers in the case of records from IGI and various censuses. Variants, however, can also be seen in original documents suggesting that the spelling was fluid up until relatively recently. In the early 21st century Angliss appears to have become the dominant form but examples of the forms Angless, Anglis and to a lesser extent Anglish still exist.

For more information on the history and meaning of surnames see A Dictionary of British Surnames by P H Reaney and R M Wilson (Oxford University Press, 1995). Your Family Tree featured an interesting introduction to the meanings and origins of surnames in their January 2004 edition (Issue 7).

Members of The Guild of One Name Studies devote themselves to researching all occurrences of one name. To find out more visit their website at www.one-name.org)

	Name origins
	For He is an Englishman – Everything you ever wanted to know about the name Angliss.
	Angliss in the UK According to www.yournotme.co.uk there are currently there are 244 people called Angliss in the UK with 25 Anglish, 19 Anglis and 22 Angless. Read more about the distribution of this name - and see a name distribution map.	Frederick Angliss, Lulworth Army Camp, Dorset.
	Name Variants Angliss, Anglis, Angless Anglish, Anglus, Angleis, Anglys, Angluis, Angles and Anglise – all these are variants of the name Angliss seen in the 1881 Census and other sources. A relatively uncommon surname Angliss has a surprisingly simple and direct derivation. P H Reaney and R M Wilson in A Dictionary of British Surnames give three versions of the name - Angliss, Angless and Anglish - and suggest it is a corruption of the French ‘anglais’ meaning an Englishman. Angliss is therefore a toponymic name i.e. a name which is an adjective or noun denoting nationality, province, county, town etc of the bearer. The first recorded Angliss, according to Reaney and Wilson, was one Nicolaus Angleis of St Pancras, London in about 1200. The spelling of the name has been fluid through the centuries with individuals and members of the same family recorded using different versions. Benjamin Angliss of Foleshill, near Coventry, Warwickshire (son of Benjamin Angliss Senior and Clara Ann Tipper) appears in the 1881 census as Benjamin Angless but in the record for his christening he appears as Benjamin Angliss. Elsewhere Benjamin Senior appears as Anglish. Similarly the Angliss family in Tadley, Hampshire are variously Angliss, Angless and Anglis. There is an Angless Road in Kenilworth near Coventry (at one time there was an Anglis Lane in Coventry itself although sadly this is more likely to be a corruption of St Agnes Lane, the name by which it is always known today). A cursory examination of the 1901 Census shows families using variant spellings right into the early 20th century. In this respect the Anglisses keep illustrious company. Fellow Warwickshireman William Shakespeare, a man who was patently not illiterate, spelled his name in various ways including Shakespeare, Shakespere, Shakespear, Shakspere and even Shaxpere. According to P H Reaney in the Origin of English Surnames the spelling of a surname could be down to the vagaries of the clerk or parson keeping the parish record or even be subject to the affects of local accent or dialect. Some of the variation in spelling is no doubt due to the level of literacy of the name bearers and equally to the accuracy and ability of the modern day transcribers in the case of records from IGI and various censuses. Variants, however, can also be seen in original documents suggesting that the spelling was fluid up until relatively recently. In the early 21st century Angliss appears to have become the dominant form but examples of the forms Angless, Anglis and to a lesser extent Anglish still exist. Further sources For more information on the history and meaning of surnames see A Dictionary of British Surnames by P H Reaney and R M Wilson (Oxford University Press, 1995). Your Family Tree featured an interesting introduction to the meanings and origins of surnames in their January 2004 edition (Issue 7). Members of The Guild of One Name Studies devote themselves to researching all occurrences of one name. To find out more visit their website at www.one-name.org)