STRANGE
Strange is a surname of English origin that first appears in documentary evidence in the late twelfth century. The name is situated within the British Isles, specifically England, and is associated with the Christian tradition of the period.
The etymology of the surname proceeds from the Middle English word strange, which means foreign or unfamiliar. This word is a direct descendant of the Old French estrange, meaning literally “foreigner” or “stranger.” Consequently the surname was originally employed as a nickname for a person who was considered to be an outsider or newcomer to a community.
The earliest documented spellings of the name are found in Norfolk after the Norman Conquest of 1066. In 1192 the Pipe Rolls of the County of Norfolk record the name as John Lestrange, and a further example appears in 1195 in the Feet of Fines of the same county. Other early instances include Ralph le Estrange mentioned in the 1199 Curia Rolls of Suffolk, Hugh le Strange recorded in 1221 in the Assize Court Rolls of Salop, and Fulco Strange noted in 1221 in the records of the Abbey of Ely in Cambridgeshire. The name continued to be found in England, Scotland, and Ireland over the centuries, with modern variants such as Le Strange, Stranger, LeStrange, and Estrange. The spelling Strang has become established in Scotland, while the form Lestrange remains recorded in France.
Notable individuals bearing the surname include Roger le Strange (died 1311), who served in numerous judicial, military, and administrative posts during the reign of Edward I; and Alexander Strange (1818–1876), who joined the Madras Light Cavalry in 1834 and contributed significantly to the trigonometrical survey of India.
The title of Baron Strange of Ellesmere, created in the late thirteenth century, was granted a coat of arms depicting two silver lions passant on a red shield. This heraldic device has been associated with the family since the reign of King Richard I.
In contemporary times the surname remains common within the United Kingdom, particularly in England, and to a lesser extent in Scotland and Wales. Outside the British Isles, it is also found in regions such as the United States (notably in the Southern states of Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee, and in the Midwest of Indiana and Minnesota) and in various European and South American countries.
Throughout its history the surname has exhibited a range of spelling variations, many of which are adaptations to local linguistic practices: for example, Strangeway, Strangman, Strank, Strainge, Straung, Strang, and Lestrange. However, all these iterations share a common root in the original meaning of foreign, reflecting the surname’s origin as an identifier for newcomers to a community.
Typical given names associated with the Strange surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Anne
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Gillian
- Helen
- Julie
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
- Victoria
Similar and related surnames
- Strang
- Strong
- Strain
- Strainer
- Strainge
- Straing
- Strainger
- Straine
- Straines
- Strains
- Stran
- Stranc
- Strand
- Strane
- Stranex
- Straney
- Stranger
- Stranges
- Strangham
- Stranghan
- Strangio
- Strangis
- Strango
- Strangs
- Strangway
- Strangwayes
- Strangwige
- Strani
- Strank
- Stranner
- Stranney
- Strano
- Strans
- Strant
- Stranz
- Strean
- Streans
- Streng
- Strenge
- Strenger
- Stringe
- Stronge
- Strunge
- Strage
- Stragnell
- Stranden
- Strandt
- Strangeway
- Strangfeld
- Stranghair
- Strangman
- Strangram
- Strangways
- Strangwick
- Strangwood
- Stranis
- Stranks
- Strein
- Strenk
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Strange in...
Braille
⠎⠞⠗⠁⠝⠛⠑
Morse
...-.-..--.--..
Semaphore
There are approximately 6,147 people named Strange in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,540th most common surname in Britain. Around 94 in a million people in Britain are named Strange.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Strange
- Susan Strange - Academic (1923 to 1998)
- Mark Strange - Actor and film producer
- Mark Strange - Anglican bishop
- Louis Strange - Airman (1891 to 1966)
- Robert Strange - Engraver (1721 to 1792)
- Johnny Strange - Performer
- Alfred Strange - Football player (1900 to 1978)
- Ian Strange - Ornithologist (1934 to 2018)
- Clare Griffiths née Strange - 1.5 point British wheelchair basketball player
- Pete Strange - Musician (1938 to 2004)
- Nicholas Strange - Rower
- Charles Strange - Canadian politician (1909 to 1992)
- Graham Strange - Bermudian cricketer Bermudian cricketer
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.