Taking a Surname

The new policies of the Normans included an innovation that remains with us today. They required all citizens to take surnames. Thus, the Aelfrics and Alrics and Edreds of the old days became the Eldreds and Aldridges and subsequently Eldridges of the new era, and started to work their way up in the world once more in an England where French was now the language of government and Latin the language of the church, and old English a second-class Germanic vernacular of the old Anglo-Saxon families.

Supposed family crest of Eldridge family

From: https://coadb.com/surnames/eldridge-arms.html

Out of this distillation, the modern English language was eventually to emerge. Furthermore, as we all know, cultural and religious change over the centuries had long since led to the displacement of old Brittonic and Germanic and Scandinavian belief systems, and the adoption of an entirely new but alien theology imported from the Middle East. The bond that was now to bridge prevailing divides, and instil social unity was Christianity, and, specifically, obeisance to Rome, and to the Pope.