Is Lance Armstrong Related to Neil Armstrong?

When someone attains celebrity status, they are susceptible to myths and rumors. These tall tales are prevalent even today when a quick internet search would state the obvious. These are created through assumptions or deliberate deceit. However, sometimes rumors turn out to be accurate as well. Let us analyze such a rumor that has made the rounds concerning Neil and Lance Armstrong.

In many cultures, a surname represents a specific identity of an individual. It indicates the family name passed on for generations. Although surnames are unique, some occur commonly across various regions of the world. Therefore, it is common for people to come across celebrities who share the same surname.

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Connection between Lance Armstrong and his surname

Since people make assumptions without checking facts, these form rumors that pass on until people start acknowledging them as the truth. Such a rumor has been making the rounds on the internet. And this rumor has found a solid base after the passing of the first person to walk on the moon, Neil Armstrong, on 25 August 2012.

A day before the demise of the astronaut, the cycling community became engulfed in controversy, as also at the same time, the most accomplished cyclist, Lance Armstrong, was formally stripped of his seven Tour de France titles on 24 August 2012. The cyclist won the titles between 1999 and 2005. The USADA also barred Lance from competing in the Olympic Games. In addition, Lance faced a lifetime ban from sanctioned cycling events at national championships or international meets.

Since the two incidents took place within a narrow timeframe, they put into motion a chain of events that led people to think that the cyclist and the first person to walk on the moon were indeed related.

However, the claim is not factual. It simply stems from the fact that the two persons share the same surname. Analyzing the family history of both Neil and Lance Armstrong should provide us with a clearer picture.

Although Lance shares the surname with Neil, it is not the surname of the cyclist’s biological father, who went by Eddie Gunderson. Lance adopted his stepfather’s last name, Terry Armstrong after his mother married the man. Lance Armstrong was about 3 years old at the time.

Making his stance on his name public, Lance said, “I like the name Lance Armstrong. I think that’s a good name. It’s better than Lance Gunderson. That’s kind of a weird name.”

However, Neil Armstrong was born into this surname. Moreover, he had strong ties to his roots, even returning to his ancestral land in March 1974.

The origin of the Armstrong surname

The Armstrong Clan Association posits the surname to be of Scottish origin. It states that the surname was recorded first in Ousby, Cumberland. It was during a time when the region was considered Scottish. But the family name has traveled far and wide to various corners of the world.

Therefore, it has become a fairly common surname in recent times. Furthermore, this surname has also been observed in people with no Scottish roots. And since Lance adopted the surname from his stepfather, it seems unlikely that the cyclist is even remotely related to Neil Armstrong.

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It is not surprising that the two celebrities are not related even though they share the same surname. Hence, the myth concerning Neil and Lance Armstrong, being related has been debunked.