Lorain History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
England

Scotland, with its skirl of bagpipes and colorful tartans is the homeland of the noble surname Lorain. 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 Lorain family originally lived in the French province of Lorraine, before moving to England and Scotland, where the name was passed down through many generations.

"Lorrain is the name of a French ducal family who held the province of Lorraine continuously from the 11th century to 1740." 1

Early Origins of the Lorain family

The surname Lorain was first found in Northumberland, where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Kirk Hall. These estates were apparently obtained by the marriage of the Knight of Loraine to the del Strother heiress.

Another early record of the family in England was Geoffrey le Lohareng who was found in Staffordshire in the Pipe Rolls of 1158-1159. A few years later, Dauit le Loreng was listed in the Feet of Fines for Norfolk in 1197 and Thomas Loring was listed in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1280. 2

While the family was established in England in early times, the family rose to great prominence and popularity in Scotland. "Roger Loren, the first of the name in Scotland, witnessed an agreement between the Chapter of Moray and Sir Alan Durward, 1233. Dominus Roger de Loranger witnessed a charter by Morgrund, son of Abbe, c. 1239. The -or is merely a flourish over the g mistaken by the copyist for -or. Roger Lohering was juror on an inquest, 1244, concerning the behavior of certain Scottish knights charged with being accomplices of William de Marisco and other enemies of the king of England, accused of piracy in the Irish sea. Eustache de Loneyne and others were in 1333 directed by Edward III to survey the Castle of Berwick." 3

Early History of the Lorain family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lorain research. Another 215 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1354, 1358, 1361, 1563, 1590, 1603, 1608, 1624, 1625, 1634, 1657, 1680, 1692, 1698, 1699, 1710, 1719 and 1883 are included under the topic Early Lorain History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lorain Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Loraine, Loraigne, Lorain, Loran, Lorane, Loreygne, Lorrain, Lorrane, Loren, Lorren, Lorraigne, Lorraine and many more.

Early Notables of the Lorain family

Notable among the family at this time was Henry II (1563-1624), known as "the Good (le Bon)", the Duke of Lorraine from 1608 until his death; Nicole de Lorraine (1608-1657), Duchess of Lorraine and Bar from (1624-1625), and Duchess consort in (1625-1634) daughter of Henry II, Duke of Lorraine.Paul Lorrain (died 1719) was for twenty-two years was the secretary, translator, and copyist for Samuel Pepys, Ordinary of Newgate Prison in September 1698. " He was educated at neither of the English universities, but describes himself as presbyter of the church of England. He was appointed ordinary of Newgate prison in September...
Another 146 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lorain Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lorain migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lorain Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Lyman Lorain who settled in Virginia in 1635

Lorain Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jacques Lorain, aged 20, who landed in Louisiana in 1719 4

Lorain migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Lorain Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Robert Lorain, (b. 1850), aged 24, Scottish coal wright, from Lanark travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Oamaru" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 17th February 1875 5

The Lorain 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: Lauro resurgo
Motto Translation: I rise again with laurel.

Citations +

Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-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)
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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html