Loraine 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 Loraine. 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 Loraine 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 Loraine family

The surname Loraine 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 Loraine family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Loraine 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 Loraine History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Loraine 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 Loraine 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 Loraine Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Loraine migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Loraine Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

May Loraine, aged 24, who landed in America from London, England, in 1912
Robert Loraine, aged 36, who immigrated to the United States from England, in 1912
Ethel Loraine, aged 30, who settled in America from London, England, in 1915
Vivien Loraine, aged 23, who immigrated to America from Lyndharst, England, in 1915
Samuel Loraine, aged 29, who landed in America from Liverpool, in 1917
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Loraine migration to Australia +

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

Loraine Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Mr. Alexander Loraine, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [4]

Contemporary Notables of the name Loraine (post 1700) +

Loraine Despres, American novelist and screenwriter
Loraine Blaxter, lecturer at the School of Health and Social Studies, University of Warwick
Loraine Wyman (1885-1937), American folksinger, dulcimer player
Loraine Stinson, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1972 [5]
Loraine Gibbs, American politician, Independent Candidate for Virgin Islands legislature from St. Croix, 2000 [6]
Loraine L. Alvarez, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1972 [7]

The Loraine 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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html