| ![Show Contents]() Lions History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The distinguished surname Lions is a proud example of one of the more noteworthy Scottish surnames. In Scotland, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules and during the late Middle Ages, names that were derived from localities became increasingly widespread. Local names originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. The Lions family originally lived in the Norman settlement of Lyons-la-Foret, before migrating to England and Scotland. 1 Early Origins of the Lions familyThe surname Lions was first found in Perthshire where Sir Roger de Lyon settled in Scotland in 1098 and called the lands there Glen Lyon. "According to the family tradition the Lyons came to Scotland from France, by way of England, in the course of the twelfth century." 2 However, it appears the family was indeed in England before the 1100s. "Ingelram de Lions came to England 1066, and held Corsham and Culington from the King. He had Ranulph, whose brother William de Lions had a grant in Norfolk from Earl Walter Giffard, and left descendants there." 1 Moving north into Scotland, "John de Lyon obtained from David II a grant of the baronies of Forteviot and Fergundeny in Perthshire and Drumgawan in Aberdeenshire; his son, Sir John Lyon, was Secretary to Robert II, whose youngest daughter, Lady Jane Stewart, he married, and was created Lord Glamis, made Great Chamberlain, and Lord Chancellor of Scotland, and received grants of the Thanedom of Glamis in Forfarshire, and of the Barony of Kinghorn in Fifeshire. " 3 Another source claims that the family arrived via England later. "The name was not uncommon in England in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, and landowners of the name were in occupation in several of the English shires in the reigns of Edward I and Edward II. The first of the name recorded in Scotland, probably an English soldier, was Thomas Lyon, crossbowman, who formed one of the garrison of Linlithgow peel in the pay of Edward II. " 2 Mention should now be made of the numerous listings of the family in England at about the same time. Here it is generally thought that the first record of the name was Roger de Leonibus filius Jeffrey de Lions who was listed in the Feet of Fines of Norfolk during the reign of Henry III of England (reign 1216-1272.) The same source lists John de Leonibus in Southamptonshire and Peter de Leonibus in Northamptonshire. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: Judaeus Leo and Jacob filius Leonis in Lincolnshire; John Leon in Oxfordshire; and Roger de Lyons, Wiltshire. 4 Early History of the Lions familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lions research. Another 351 words (25 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1105, 1203, 1275, 1310, 1332, 1334, 1342, 1371, 1381, 1393, 1411, 1425, 1445, 1499, 1509, 1525, 1550, 1643, 1663, 1695, 1696, 1702, 1707, 1712, 1715 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Lions History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Lions Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: Lyon, Lions, Lyons and others. Early Notables of the Lions familyNotable among the family at this time was John Lyon, 2nd Earl of Kinghorne; and his son, Patrick Lyon, 3rd Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne (1643-1695), a Scottish peer; John Lyon, 4th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne (1663-1712), a Scottish peer; John Lyon, 5th...
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lions Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Lions RankingIn France, the name Lions is the 7,047th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 5  Migration of the Lions family to Ireland
Some of the Lions family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 118 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Lions migration to the United States | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Lions Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Patrick Lions, who arrived in Tippecanoe County, Ind in 1849 6
| Lions migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Lions Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Mr. Denis Lions, British Convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 12th March 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 7
| Contemporary Notables of the name Lions (post 1700) | + |
- Pierre-Louis Lions (b. 1956), French mathematician awarded the Fields Medal in 1994
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: Pro rege et patria
Motto Translation: For King and country.
- 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)
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- Sims, Clifford Stanley The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames. 1862. Print.
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
- 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)
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th December 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
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Lions migration to the United States 
Lions migration to Australia 
Scotland
Ireland
England
