Lent Family Crest, Coat of Arms and Name History

Lent Origin:

England, Ireland, Germany

Origins of Lent:

This unique and interesting surname listed as Lent, Lente, Lentt, Lanet and Lante, is considered to be English. It is thought to be an early ancient Christian nickname for an individual born in the religious duration of Lent, that is the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and after the style of such surnames like Christmas, Nowell and even Trinity. Lent also means related to depression and starvation or difficulty, so it is imaginable that the surname has some other meanings. In 1880 one William Lent is registered in the Hundred Rolls of Oxford in 1273, and Willelmus Lenten in the census Tax rolls of Yorkshire in 1379. Recordings in the city of London from early records contain, Temperance Lante, the daughter of Richard Lante, named at the parish of St Peter-le-Poer in 1623, and Hengoe Lentt a naming assistance to his son also called Hengoe, at St Thomas the Apostle, in March 1675.

Variations:

More common variations are: Lenty, Leent, Lenti, Lento, Lenta, Lente, Lendt, Lenet, Lenot, Lenat.

England:

The origins of the surname Lent are found in Buckingham where people held a family seat from early times as Kings of the palace. The Saxon effects of English history declined after the war of Hastings in 1066. The language of the court was French for the next three centuries and after the Norman control. But Saxon surnames remained, and the family name first set down in the year 1275 when Clemence de Lentone held estates.

The very first recording spelling of the family was shown to be that of Alexander Doge, vicar of Dunnychtyne, dated about 1372, in the “holy register of Brechin”, Scotland. It was during the time of King Robert II of Scotland, dated 1371 – 1390. The origin of surnames during this period became a necessity with the introduction of personal taxation. It came to be known as the Poll Tax in England. Surnames all over the country began to develop, with unique and shocking spelling varieties of the original one.

United States of America:

Individuals with the surname Lent settled in the United States in four different centuries respectively in 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th. Some of the people with the name Lent who settled in the United States in the 17th century included Thomas Lent landed in Maryland in 1654.

Some of the people with the surname Lent who settled in the United States in the 18th century included Peter Lent who would eventually settle in Pennsylvania in the year 1762.

The following century saw much more Lent surnames arrive. Some of the people with the name Lent who settled in the United States in the 19th century included W M Lent, A Lent, and J Lent arrived in San Francisco in the year 1851. Joseph Lent arrived in St Clair Division, III in 1866 and Francis J Lent came to Arkansas in 1891.

Canada:

Some of the people with the surname Lent who settled in Canada in the 18th century included John Lent who arrived in Parr Town, Saint John, New Brunswick about 1784.

Here is the population distribution of the last name Lent: United States 5,311; England 226; Canada 282; Switzerland 45; Wales 68; Belgium 82; France 98; Brazil 159; Netherlands 261; Kazakhstan 48.

Notable People:

Abraham Lent (1789–1873), was a Nova Scotia congressman.

Abraham Lent (New York City) (1815–1882), was a politician in New York.

Arie van Lent was a Dutch-German football player.

Berkeley Lent was an American politician, and lawyer in the state of Oregon.

Blair Lent was an American writer and cartoonist of mostly Chinese-themed books.

Helmut Lent was a German soldier in World War II.

John Lent was a Canadian poet, and novel writer.

Michael Lent (visual artist), was a co-creator and administrator of Toby Room magazine.

Norman F. Lent was a traditional Republican representative of the United States House of Representatives from New York.

Willis Lent was an administrator in the United States Navy.

Blazons & Genealogy Notes

1) (William Lent, temp. Edward III., quartered by Bury, of Culham, co. Oxford. Visit. Oxon, 1574). Quarterly, ar. and or, a cross engr. gu.
2) Vert a chev. erm. betw. three leaves ar. Crest—A horse pass. ar.