Show ContentsLineman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Anglo-Norman Conquest of Ireland lead by Strongbow introduced the first non-Gaelic elements into Irish nomenclature. These Anglo-Normans brought some traditions to Ireland that were not readily found within Gaelic system of hereditary surnames. One of the best examples of this is the local surname. Local surnames, such as Lineman, were taken from the name of a place or a geographical feature where the person lived, held land, or was born. These surnames were very common in England, but were almost non-existent within Ireland previous to the conquest. Originally, these place names were prefixed by "de," which means "from" in French. This type of prefix was eventually either made a part of the surname, if the place name began with a vowel, or was eliminated entirely. The Lineman family originally lived in the settlement of Llanaghan, which is in the Welsh county of Brecon.

Early Origins of the Lineman family

The surname Lineman was first found in County Roscommon (Irish: Ros Comáin) located in central Ireland in the province of Connacht, where they were granted lands by Strongbow after his invasion of Ireland in 1172.

Early History of the Lineman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lineman research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1249 is included under the topic Early Lineman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lineman Spelling Variations

Medieval scribes and church officials spelled the names as they sounded, so a name was often spelled many different ways during the lifetime of a single person. The investigation of the origin of the name Lineman revealed many spelling variations including Lanigan, Lanahan, Lenaghan, Lanaghan, Linehan and many more.

Early Notables of the Lineman family

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


Australia Lineman migration to Australia +

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

Lineman Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Lineman, (b. 1803), aged 24, Irish farm servant who was convicted in Limerick, Ireland for life for house breaking, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 19th July 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 1


The Lineman 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: Patriae infelici fidelis
Motto Translation: Faithful to an unhappy country.


  1. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza


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