Lathan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the Lathan surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in Latham in the West Riding of Yorkshire, in Lathom in Lancashire and Laytham in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The place-name Latham was originally derived from the Old Norse word hlathum, which is the plural form of hlath, which means a barn. Therefore the original bearers of the Lathan surname were dwellers at the barns. 1 2

Early Origins of the Lathan family

The surname Lathan was first found in Lancashire at Lathom, a village and civil parish about 5 km northeast of Ormskirk. The place name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was listed as Latune 3 and later as Lathum in 1200, and Lathom in 1223. One of the earliest records of the name was Robert Fitzhenry de Lathom who held lands throughout south Lancashire in 1189. The lands were "bestowed by Robert de Lathom upon the newly-founded priory of Burscough in 1189." 4

Presumably one of his descendants, Robert de Lathom in 1292 was sued by Richard, son of John de Burscough concerning a tenement in Burscough, but the case was non-suited." 4

"This place was the seat of the Lathom family, of whom Robert de Lathom, in the reign of Edward I., received the grant of a weekly market and an annual fair, and whose baronial mansion of Lathom House, remarkable for its extent and magnificence, and formidable for its strength, afterwards became so conspicuous in history. " 5

At Whiston in the parish of Prescot, "in the reign of Richard II. the Lathoms had estates here, which descended through several generations; and the Torbocks, of whom the Lathoms were a branch, were, at a very remote period, possessed of Rudgate, in this manor." 5

The parish of Huyton was another ancient family seat. "The Lathoms were early proprietors, being mentioned in the reign of Henry III. The original church was of considerable antiquity, having been granted to the priory of Burscough, at the time of its foundation, by the first (aforementioned) Robert de Lathom." 5

Early History of the Lathan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lathan research. Another 106 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1610, 1677 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Lathan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lathan Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Lathan include Latham, Lathem, Lathom and others.

Early Notables of the Lathan family

Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lathan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lathan Ranking

In the United States, the name Lathan is the 8,185^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Lathan family to Ireland

Some of the Lathan family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lathan migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Lathan Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Lathan, who arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 7

Lathan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

George Lathan, who arrived in South Carolina in 1825 7
Robert Lathan, who landed in South Carolina in 1825 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Lathan (post 1700) +

Dwayne Lathan (b. 1989), American basketball player
Trayvon Lathan (b. 1984), American professional basketball player
Raymond Lee Lathan (1915-1996), American politician, Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
Rob Lathan, American comedian based in New York City
Stan Lathan (b. 1945), American Primetime Emmy Award nominated television and film director and television producer, known for his work in Sesame Street (1969), The Steve Harvey Show (1996) and Roc (1991)
Terry Lathan, American former public school teacher and political activist
Sanaa McCoy Lathan (b. 1971), American two-time Black Reel Award winning actress and voice actress
Terry Lathan, American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for Alabama, 2012 8
Melroy Lathan, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 1980 8
Jerry Lathan (b. 1956), American Republican politician, Contractor; Presidential Elector for Alabama, 2000; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Alabama, 2004, 2012 8
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Lathan 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: Aequanimitate
Motto Translation: Equanimity

Citations +

Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
'Townships: Scarisbrick', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1907), pp. 265-276. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp265-276 [accessed 21 January 2017].
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html