Bohannon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland

In Scottish history, few names go farther back than Bohannon, whose ancestors lived among the clans of the Pictish tribe. They lived in the great lands of Buchanan in Stirlingshire where this illustrious Clan held extensive territories since early times. Although many of today's members of the Clan Buchanan can trace their heritage as far back as McAlpin, the first to establish the name of Buchan was Anselan O'Kyan, son of the King of Ulster about 1016.

It is generally believed that the Buchanans of Auchmar received lands bordering Loch Lomond by King Malcolm II for services rendered against the Danes. And records do confirm that Walter de Buchanan had a land grant in Auchmarr in 1373. A Maurice Buchanan also acted as treasurer to Princess Margaret of France at this time.

Early Origins of the Bohannon family

The surname Bohannon was first found in Lennox. In Gaelic, "both-chanain" means "the seat of the canon," suggesting an ecclesiastical origin. The Clan received its name from the great lands of Buchanan in Stirlingshire where they had held extensive territories since early times. The earliest mention of the name placed him in Stirling (now part of the modern region of Central) where in an early document, a Dominus Absolone de Buchkan was a witness to a charter in 1224.

"The name of this place was originally Inchcaileoch, which it received from an island in Loch Lomond. This name is of uncertain origin; but the family who used it in consequence of having, at a very early period, obtained a grant of the lands so called, sprang from Anselan, a native of Ireland, who is supposed to have located himself here in the 11th century." 1

Early History of the Bohannon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bohannon research. Another 191 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1016, 1296, 1506, 1582, 1595, 1652, 1681, 1690, 1759 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Bohannon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bohannon Spelling Variations

The arts of spelling and translation were yet in their infancies when surnames began, so there are an enormous number of spelling variations of the names in early Scottish records. This is a particular problem with Scottish names because of the numerous times a name might have been loosely translated to English from Gaelic and back. Bohannon has been spelled Buchanan, Bucanan, Bucanion, Bucanen, Bucanon, Buchannan, Buchannon, Buchannen, Buchanon, Buchanen, Bohannon and many more.

Early Notables of the Bohannon family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was George Buchanan (1506-1582), Scottish humanist, scholar, and educator; as well as John Buchanan of that Ilk (d. 1681), Clan Chief and last Laird of Buchanan and Buchanan of Arnprior.Andrew Buchanan (1690-1759), of Drumpellier, was Lord Provost of Glasgow, and was descended from a branch of the old family of Buchanan of Buchanan and Leny. He was the second of four sons of George Buchanan, maltster, Glasgow, one of the covenanters who fought at Bothwell Bridge. 2George Buchanan (1506-1582), was a Scottish scholar, and third son...
Another 92 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bohannon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bohannon Ranking

In the United States, the name Bohannon is the 2,904^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Bohannon family to Ireland

Some of the Bohannon family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 65 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bohannon migration to the United States +

This oppression forced many Scots to leave their homelands. Most of these chose North America as their destination. Although the journey left many sick and poor, these immigrants were welcomed the hardy with great opportunity. Many of these settlers stood up for their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. More recently, Scots abroad have recovered much of their collective heritage through highland games and other patriotic functions and groups. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has located various settlers bearing the name Bohannon:

Bohannon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Margt. Bohannon, aged 24, who immigrated to the United States, in 1896

Bohannon Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Kate S. Bohannon, aged 30, who settled in America, in 1906
John Bohannon, aged 25, who landed in America from Kildysart, Ireland, in 1907
Joseph Bohannon, aged 21, who immigrated to the United States from Kerry, Ireland, in 1909
Allan C. Bohannon, aged 31, who landed in America, in 1910
Mr. Allan G. Bohannon, aged 33, who landed in America, in 1912
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Bohannon (post 1700) +

James Everett "Jim" Bohannon (1944-2022), American broadcaster who worked in both television and radio, best known for hosting the nationally syndicated late night radio talk show The Jim Bohannon Show on the Westwood One Network
Hamilton Frederick Bohannon (1942-2020), known professionally simply as Bohannon, an American percussionist, band leader, songwriter and arranger
Jim Bohannon (b. 1944), American radio show host
Jason Bohannon (b. 1987), American college basketball player
Fred Bohannon (b. 1958), former professional American football player
Etdrick Bohannon (b. 1973), American professional basketball player
Travis Bohannon, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Texas, 2012 4
Robert C. Bohannon Jr., American Republican politician, Member of Arizona State House of Representatives, 1949-50 4
Edward Bohannon, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Kentucky railroad commissioner 2nd District, 1975 4
C. B. Bohannon Jr., American politician, Mayor of Gainesville, Florida, 1954 4

The Bohannon Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Clarior hinc honos
Motto Translation: Brighter hence the honour.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html