Where do English people come from?

Honestly modern day English people are more diverse than you think.

The evolution of the modern English people is a rich history shaped by historical events, migrations, conquests, and cultural exchanges. I’ll break it down to you one by one.

Around 800 BC to 43 AD, there were Celtic tribes, notably the Britons, who inhabited the British Isles. These Celtic peoples, with their distinct language and culture, thrived across the landscape of what would become England, establishing communities, farming the land, and engaging in trade with continental Europe.

In 43 AD, the Roman legions, under Emperor Claudius, invaded Britain, marking the beginning of Roman rule in the region. Over the subsequent centuries, Roman influence permeated all aspects of life in Britain, from governance and infrastructure to language and culture. Roman settlements, such as Londinium (London), became bustling centers of trade and administration, while Latin became the language of the elite.

The collapse of Roman rule in the early 5th century AD ushered in a period of upheaval known as the Dark Ages. During this time, waves of Germanic tribes, collectively known as the Anglo-Saxons, migrated to Britain from present-day Germany and Denmark. These Germanic settlers gradually established several Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, such as Wessex, Mercia, and Northumbria, each with its own distinct customs and dialects of Old English.

The Viking Age, spanning roughly from the late 8th to the mid-11th centuries AD, brought further upheaval to England. Norse raiders from Scandinavia, known as Vikings, launched devastating attacks along the English coastlines, eventually establishing settlements in the north and east of England. The Norse invaders, while initially disruptive, eventually assimilated with the Anglo-Saxon population, contributing to the genetic and cultural diversity of the region.

The year 1066 marked a watershed moment in English history with the Norman Conquest. Led by William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, the Norman forces defeated the Anglo-Saxon king Harold II at the Battle of Hastings, forever altering the course of England. The Normans, themselves descendants of Norse Vikings who had settled in Normandy, brought with them Norman French culture, language, and feudal institutions. The blending of Norman French with Old English gave rise to Middle English, the precursor to modern English.

In the centuries that followed, England experienced further migrations and cultural exchanges. Flemish weavers settled in England during the medieval period, contributing to the textile industry and urban development. Jewish communities, expelled from continental Europe, found refuge in England, establishing themselves in cities like London and York. Huguenot refugees fleeing religious persecution in France arrived in England in the 16th and 17th centuries, bringing their skills in crafts and trade.

So to conclude modern day English people are descended from an amalgamation of these various cultures.