Lechner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The distinguished surname Lechner emerged among the industrious people of Flanders, which was an important trading partner and political ally of Britain during the Middle Ages. As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Flemish surnames of this type frequently are prefixed by de la or de le, which mean of the or from the. The Lechner family originally lived in the settlement of Lashmars Hall in the county of Sussex or in a moor called Lechmere in the parish of Lechlade in Gloucestershire. The surname Lechner belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Lechner family

The surname Lechner was first found in Worcestershire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Hanley. "A family of great antiquity, said to have migrated from the Low Countries, and to have received a grant of land called 'Lechmere's Field,' in Hanley, from William the Conqueror." 1 He was granted the Castle of Hanley which is now only traced by the castle moat. Adam de Lechmere succeeded from the first settler who arrived from the Lech, a tributary of the Rhine which departs from the main river at Wyke and running westward, falls into the Maes before Rotterdam in Holland. The castle was reduced during the 18th century, and the family settled at Lechmere's Place.

Early History of the Lechner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lechner research. Another 135 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1290, 1613, 1675, 1701 and 1727 are included under the topic Early Lechner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lechner Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Lachmere, Letchmere, Lechmere, Lechmear and many more.

Early Notables of the Lechner family

Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lechner Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lechner Ranking

In the United States, the name Lechner is the 9,220^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Lechner migration to the United States +

The records on immigrants and ships' passengers show a number of people bearing the name Lechner:

Lechner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Ruprecht Lechner, who landed in Georgia in 1734-1741 3
Veit Lechner, (b. 1713), who arrived in Georgia in 1741 aboard the ship "Loyal Judith" 3
Hans Georg Lechner, aged 33, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1741 3
Magdalena Lechner, (b. 1693), who arrived in Georgia in 1741 aboard the ship "Loyal Judith" 3
Elisabeth Lechner, (b. 1731), who arrived in Georgia in 1741 aboard the ship "Loyal Judith" 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lechner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Christian Lechner, aged 30, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1804 3
Anna M Lechner, aged 30, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1804 3
Peter Lechner, who arrived in America in 1835 3
Johan Leond Lechner, aged 34, German settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Atlantic" in 1840 4
Franz Lechner, aged 25, Bavarian settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Rhone" in 1841 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lechner migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Lechner Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century

Edmund Lechner, settler from London who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Mongolia" in 1908 5
Bernard Lechner, settler from San Francisco who arrived in Australia aboard the ship "Malolo" in 1929 5
Kurt Lechner, settler from London who arrived in Sydney, Australia aboard the ship "Orontes" in 1937 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Lechner (post 1700) +

John A "Johnny" Lechner, American film and television actor
Edgar Henry Lechner (1919-2015), American football guard and tackle
Alfred James Lechner Jr. (b. 1948), former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
Major Ralph C. Lechner, United States Commander, U.S. Naval Support Force, Antarctica 1964 to 19660, eponym of Mount Lechner, Antarctica
Bernard J. Lechner, American electronics engineer, former Vice President, RCA Laboratories
Matthew Lechner, American politician, Socialist Labor Candidate for Secretary of State of New York, 1908 6
Matthew Lechner, American politician, Socialist Labor Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Hartford, 1902 6
Frederick Lechner, American politician, Socialist Labor Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Hartford, 1910, 1914 6
Natalie Bauer Lechner (1858-1921), Austrian violist who is best known to musicology
Peter Lechner (b. 1966), Austrian luger who competed during the late 1990s and early 2000s
... (Another 21 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Lechner 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: Christus pelicano
Motto Translation: Christ is like the pelican.

Citations +

Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, 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)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
National Archives of Australia retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ListingReports/PassengerListing.aspx
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html