Loch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Scotland
England

Early Origins of the Loch family

The surname Loch was first found in Peeblesshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd nam Pùballan), former county in South-central Scotland, in the present day Scottish Borders Council Area. They were from the locality known as Portmoore Loch in the parish of Eddleston in Peeblesshire. Literally, the name means "a place where rivers meet with a partial obstruction from a wooden dam. " 1

Later they acquired the lands of Gillemorestun in 1189. John Loch of Roxburghshire represented his Clan when he rendered homage in 1296 to King Edward I of England on his brief conquest of Scotland. Malise Lock was taken prisoner at Dunbar Castle in the same year. 2

Further to the south, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed: Geoffrey Loc, or Lock in Suffolk; and William Lock in Oxfordshire. 3 Kirby's Quest lists John Loke in Somerset, 1 Edward III. (during the first year of Edward III's reign.) 4

Early History of the Loch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Loch research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1464, 1474, 1504, 1510, 1621, 1632, 1677, 1704 and 1820 are included under the topic Early Loch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Loch Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Loch, Lock, Locke, Lochlair, Locklair and others.

Early Notables of the Loch family

Notable amongst the family at this time was George Lock, Bishop of Glasgow; Matthew Locke (ca. 1621-1677), an English Baroque composer and music theorist; and John Locke (1632-1704), known as the...
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Loch Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Loch Ranking

In the United States, the name Loch is the 15,141^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Loch migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Loch Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

George Loch, who settled in Louisiana in 1722 with his wife and children
Jacob Loch, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1739 6
Johanis Loch, aged 16, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1739 6
Johannes Loch, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1739 6
Anna Elisabetha Loch, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Loch Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Henry Loch, who arrived in America in 1850 6
Friedrich Loch, who arrived in Ohio in 1852 6
Christ Loch, who landed in America in 1854 6
Johann Andreas Wilhelm Loch, who arrived in America in 1854 6
Heinrich Jakob Loch, who arrived in Brazil in 1855 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Loch (post 1700) +

Ethan David Loch (b. 2004), Scottish blind pianist and composer, a competitor in the BBC Young Musician 2022 competition where he was a finalist
George Loch (1811-1887), Scottish Liberal Party politician
Lieutenant-General Kenneth Loch (1890-1961), Scottish soldier and defence planner
James Loch (1780-1855), Scottish estate commissioner and later a Member of Parliament
Henry Brougham Loch GCMG, KCB (1827-1900), 1st Baron Loch, Scottish soldier and colonial administrator
Felix Loch (b. 1989), German winner of three Olympic gold medals for the luge at the 2010, and 2014 games
Charles Loch Mowat (1911-1970), British-born, American historian
Michael Loch McGurk (1958-2009), Australian businessman

The Loch 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: Assiduitate, non desdia
Motto Translation: By assiduity, not by sloth.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
"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)