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The surname of Algar actually derives from the Anglo-Saxon word, 'Aethelgar', the interpretation of which, is an ancient or noble warrior. From a family history point of view, this has caused a great difficulty throughout history, due to the majority of villages having had at least one ancient or noble warrior amongst its inhabitants! As 'Algar', the name cropped up all around the country in ancient times (indeed, at one stage it was more common than that of the industrial-revolution surname of 'Smith'), and thus we find the name appearing in North Wales, in Lincolnshire (Algarkirk), in Coventry (Lady Godiva's father was an Algar), in Oxford, where the town was founded on the site of an abbey created due to the untimely death of an Algar. Indeed, the list of Algar's goes on and on throughout the land, and not only within the UK, but also in many Scandinavian and more southerly countries. Although as an Algar there is a tendency to discount other spellings, it should be noted that there are approximately 15 variants of the surname within the UK, and approximately the same number within the European countries. Understandably this fact can cause many problems, although using the time-honoured correct way of tracing one's family (i.e. from the known, backwards), the majority of family historians should be able to achieve several generations ascendancy. In the 1960s my late father began to take an interest in his own family's history, and me as a youngish lad, with no knowledge of what family history was, but eager to discover as much as I could about the surname, set out with pencil and writing pad at the ready. Due to the latter, not only did I approach research the totally wrong way, but equally I also managed to uncover reams of information relating to the surname in ancient times. Thus it was that I eventually discovered the fact I didn't want to know, which was that although the surname of 'Algar' nowadays is not that common, in times gone by, not only was it very common, but also that none of the Algar's were related (to each other!) I have researched many branches of the family (years ago) and a good friend of mine, Nigel Anstee-Algar had also undertaken detailed research into lots more branches (and far more detailed than me, too). These days my interests lie elsewhere (family history wise) although I do have all my notes and references to the early (and later) Algar's Wishing all Algar's everywhere, much success with their research