Show ContentsLatin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Latin was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Latin family lived in Wiltshire, at the manor of Lattin, from where their name is taken.

Early Origins of the Latin family

The surname Latin was first found in Wiltshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Lattin. The family claim to be a junior branch of the Estoutville family of d'Estouteville-en-Caux in Normandy, Governors of the castle of Ambrieres, which branch was part of the senior branch of the family of Roger d'Estouteville, brother of Herluin, founder and first Abbot of Bec, who was reputedly related to the Duke of Normandy. [1]

"William de la Toune occurs in Shropshire during the reign of Edward I. and John de la Doune was Lord of Doune, in that county, in 1316. Ralph de la Thun held land in Woodchurch, Kent, of the King in capite, and died before 1260, 'without heir of his body.' Thomas de Toune, of Throwley, was one of the constables of the Hundred of Faversham during the great Kentish rebellion of 1380." [2]

"John de la Dune, in 1254, held land at Bradewell, in Essex, 'by the serjeancy of carrying one gleyve (gladium) or sword, in the King's army. And, in 1284, Thomas de la Doune, most probably his son, held a tenement in Bradewell by the serjeancy of finding one lance for the King, whenever he should happen to go with an army into Wales.' He died in 1306, leaving an heiress Margaret. Morant suggests that he took his name from Dounhall, his residence ; but it is at least equally likely that his house was named from him. In Surrey, Gregory de la Doune held of William de Windsor at Compton [3]. Sir Roger de la Dune, 'a knight of Middlesex' is mentioned in Staffordshire temp. Henry III. " [2]

The senior branch of the Estoutevilles were granted Lydesdale Castle on the border of England and Scotland, junior sons settled on other estates granted them throughout England. As was customary, second and third sons adopted the surname of the estates. Hence Walter d'Estouteville became Walter Latton of Wiltshire about 1100. Junior branches of this family were, the Lattins of Upton in Berks, Esher in Surrey, and the Morristown Lattins of Kildare in Ireland.

Early History of the Latin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Latin research. Another 139 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1172 and 1290 are included under the topic Early Latin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Latin Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Latton, Lattin, Latin, Lattins, Lattons, Latins, De Latton and many more.

Early Notables of the Latin family

More information is included under the topic Early Latin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Latin family to Ireland

Some of the Latin family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 122 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Latin migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Latin or a variant listed above:

Latin Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Latin who settled in New York State in 1636

Contemporary Notables of the name Latin (post 1700) +

  • James Latin, American politician, Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives from Wayne County 1st District, 1932 [4]


  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
  3. Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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