Contents [hide]

Herron History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Herron History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The proud Norman name of Herron was developed in England soon after Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It was name for a person who was long legged or of tall stature. The name Herron is derived from the Old English word heiroun, which meant heron.

Alternatively, the name originated in Heron, near Rouen in Normandy and some of the family arrived with William the Conqueror. "Tihel de Herioun was of Essex, 1086. 1 Odenel Heron, temp. William Rufus (third son of William the Conqueror), witnessed a charter in Durham. " 2

Early Origins of the Herron family

The surname Herron was first found in Northumberland at Thornton, a township, in the parish of Norham, union of Berwick-upon-Tweed. "This place was the manor and residence of a family named Heron." 3

"Sir John Hairun entered England with the Conqueror, and was possessed of Ford Castle, and a very good estate. There is a commune in the arrondissement of Rouen called Le Heron, but it does not appear whether this was the cradle of the race." 4

"From the adventurer Herioun sprang the warlike race of Heron, so celebrated in Border feud and Border minstrelsy. In 1100, they possessed by grant from Henry I., the Barony of Heron in Northumberland, and in 1166, exactly a century after their Norman ancestor set foot in England, Jordan Hairun is named in the Liber niger Scuccarii, amongst the knights then enjoying great estates in the north. In the reign of henry III., the marriage of William Heriun, Governor of Bamborough Castle, with the daughter and heir of Odonel de Ford, transplanted the family to the lands of her inheritance and there - at Ford Castle - they continued in high repute for several generations, William Heron of Ford being summoned to parliament as a Baron in 1371. " 5

Exploring the parish of Ford, Northumberland more we found this entry: "On the western side of the village is Ford Castle, erected in 1287 by Sir William Heron, and rebuilt by the late Lord Delaval; two towers, the remains of the former castle, are retained in the present structure. The castle was demolished by the Scots in 1385." 3

"The history of the Herons and their achievements in all their various lines, would fill a volume : here we must content ourselves with enumerating some of the more distinguished branches : next in importance to that of Ford, were the Herons of Prudhoe, the Herons of Chipchase, the Herons of Cressy, and the Herons of Newarkupon-Trent." 5

Further to the north in Scotland, "the old family of Heron in the Stewertry claim descent from the Herons of Chipchase who appear in Northumberland in the eleventh century. " 6

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include: Ricardus Herun; Emma Herun; and Agnes Herun. 7

We did find this interesting anecdote: "Sir William Heron, Sheriff of Northumberland 17 Hen. VIII., was the father of the beautiful Elizabeth, who detained James IV. at Ford, so as to give the Earl of Surrey time and opportunity for advancing towards the Borders with a large army: From its strong position, commanding the bridge over the river Till, the castle had been a constant bone of contention between the English and Scots; and was entirely demolished by the latter in 1385: but its most memorable capture was by King James in 1513, for it thus became for ever associated with 'the tale of Flodden, that is written in blood on every Scottish heart.'" 2

Early History of the Herron family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Herron research. Another 261 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1150, 1178, 1292, 1321, 1329, 1330, 1505, 1526, 1565, 1585, 1607, 1680, 1688, 1734, 1795, 1865 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Herron History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Herron Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Herron were recorded, including Herron, Heron and others.

Early Notables of the Herron family

Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Herron Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Herron Ranking

In the United States, the name Herron is the 1,155^th most popular surname with an estimated 27,357 people with that name. 8

Migration of the Herron family to Ireland

Some of the Herron family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Herron migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Herron arrived in North America very early:

Herron Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Patrick Herron, who settled in Boston in 1651

Herron Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Alexander Herron, who settled in Georgia in 1738 with his wife and daughter
James Herron, aged 12, who arrived in New York in 1774 9
Robert Herron, who landed in America in 1795 9

Herron Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Nathaniel Herron, aged 51, who landed in Virginia in 1812 9
Charles Herron, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 9
William Herron, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1828 9
Henry Herron, who landed in Tippecanoe County, Ind in 1845 9
John Herron, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1848 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Herron migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Herron Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Elizabeth Gorman Herron, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1821

Herron migration to Australia +

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

Herron Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Elizabeth Herron who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Cadet" on 10th November 1848, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10

Herron 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:

Herron Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. James Herron, (b. 1838), aged 20, British labourer travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indiana" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1858 11

Contemporary Notables of the name Herron (post 1700) +

Roy Herron (1953-2023), American politician, attorney, and author, Chairman of the Tennessee Democratic Party, Tennessee State Senator for the 24th district for 16 years
Tyler Daschier Herron (1986-2021), American right-handed professional baseball pitcher who pitched for Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic
Robert Herron (1924-2021), American stuntman and actor, born in Lomita, California, best known for performing stunts in hundreds of Hollywood films between 1950 and 2011
Mack W. Herron (1948-2015), American CFL and NFL football running back, awarded the 1972 Eddie James Memorial Trophy
Lieutenant-General Charles Douglas Herron (1877-1977), American Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff US Army (1941-1944) 12
Mark Herron (1928-1996), American actor
Patrick Herron (b. 1971), American poet
John Herron, American politician, mayor of Pittsburgh (1849 to 1850)
Timothy Daniel Herron (b. 1970), American PGA golfer
Frederick L. Herron, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Santiago de Cuba, 1916-17 13
... (Another 35 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Herron family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Henry Herron, English Boy Signalman from England, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 14

The Herron 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: Nil desperandum
Motto Translation: Never despairing.

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, 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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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 17th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cadet/
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, March 12) Charles Herron. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Herron/Charles_Douglas/USA.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html