Or Surname History

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

The name Or was first used in the ancient Scottish kingdom of Dalriada. It indicates that the first bearer lived on a bank, or on the edge of a hill. The Or surname arose independently from different sources. In some instances, it came from the Old English word ora, which means "edge" and was probably a name for someone who lived on a bank, or on the edge of a hill. Or also came form the Old Norse name Orri, which meant "black rooster." 1 It also emerged from the Gaelic word, odhar, which meant "pale" and would have been a nickname that became a surname. 2

Early Origins of the Or family

The surname Or was first found in Renfrewshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Rinn Friù), a historic county of Scotland, today encompassing the Council Areas of Renfrew, East Renfrewshire, and Iverclyde, in the Strathclyde region of southwestern Scotland.

"It is a numerous name in the West end of the shire of Renfrew in the parish of Lochwinnoch. Hew Orr rendered homage in 1296 [to King Edward I of England]. Four persons named Or were summoned to answer charges made against them by the abbot of Paisley, 1503. John Or was witness in Glasgow, 1550, Matthew Ore in Paisley, 1654, and James Orre in Barneth, 1678." 3

There are also scattered entries for the family in England. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Egidiu de Or in Kent and later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include: Matilda Orre; and Johannes Ore. 4

Roger Orre was listed in the Assize Rolls for Lincolnshire in 1202 and William Orre was listed at Wakefield, Yorkshire in 1277. Robert Orre was found in Kent in the Subsidy Rolls for 1334-1335. Agnes de Ore was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Wiltshire, 1210-1211 and Peter de Ore was found in Warwickshire, 1264-1265. William de Ore was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Kent in 1334-1335. 5

And to the far south of England in Devon, "the original Cathedral of Crediton was dedicated to the Virgin, and stood on or near the site of the present Collegiate Church of the Holy Cross. Herein it is recorded that on the 1st of August, 1315, one Thomas Orey, of Keynesham, who had been totally blind, recovered his sight after spending two days in prayer before the altar of St. Nicholas. Bishop Stapledon, being satisfied of the truth of the miracle, ordered the bells to be rung and a solemn thanksgiving offered, and set forth the event in his 'Register.' " 6

Early History of the Or family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Or research. Another 237 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1503, 1512, 1550, 1578, 1613, 1640, 1654, 1678, 1717, 1740, 1748, 1770, 1797, 1798, 1816 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Or History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Or Spelling Variations

Medieval spelling was at best an intuitive process, and translation between Gaelic and English was no more effective. These factors caused an enormous number of spelling variations in Dalriadan names. In fact, it was not uncommon to see a father and son who spelled their name differently. Over the years, Or has been spelled Orr, Ore, Orre, Orey and others.

Early Notables of the Or family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Hugh Orr (1717-1798), Scottish born inventor, son of Robert Orr of Lochwinnoch, Renfrewshire, born at Lochwinnoch on 13 Jan...
In 1748 he made five hundred muskets for the province of Massachusetts Bay, believed to have been the first weapons of the kind produced in the country...
During the revolution he was actively employed in casting iron and brass cannon and cannon-balls, for which, in conjunction with a Frenchman, he constructed a foundry...
He also originated the business of exporting flax-seeds from the part of the country in which he resided...
He was the inventor of a machine for cleaning flax-seed, and another for the manufacture of cotton...
For several years he was a senator for Plymouth county...

Migration of the Or family to Ireland

Some of the Or family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 210 words (15 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Or family

Many of the ancestors of Dalriadan families who arrived in North America still live in communities along the east coast of Canada and the United States. In the American War of Independence many of the original settlers traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the ancestors of many Scots began recovering their collective national heritage through Clan societies, highland games, and other patriotic events. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Or or a variant listed above: Alexander Orr who arrived in New York state in 1803; Arthur, Charles, George, Hannah, James, John, Martha, Mary, Patrick, Robert, Samuel, Thomas and William all arrived in Pennsylvania between 1840 and 1860..

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
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)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital