What’s in a Name? The Breton Clues Behind the First le Stranges

Could the names Roland, Riwallon, Hamon and Barbota preserve clues to the Breton origins of the le Strange family? Medieval charters reveal striking patterns of recycled family names among the aristocratic families of Alet, Dol and Combourg — the same Breton world associated with Alan fitz Flaald and the mysterious Riuallonus Extraneus. Following the evidence of medieval charters and modern scholarship, we explore whether these recurring names offer another glimpse into the origins of the first le Stranges in England.