Blain History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsBlain comes from Scottish naming traditions. The ancestors of the surname lived among the Boernicians of the Scottish/English Borderlands. The name is derived from the Gaelic personal name Bleen, which means yellow. It was also the name of an early Celtic saint. Early Origins of the Blain familyThe surname Blain was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), formerly a county in the southwestern Strathclyde region of Scotland, that today makes up the Council Areas of South, East, and North Ayrshire, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D. Early History of the Blain familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blain research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1561, 1660, 1674 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Blain History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Blain Spelling VariationsBefore the first dictionaries and printing presses went into use in the last few hundred years, spelling, particularly of names, was a largely intuitive matter. Consequently, many spelling variations occur in even the simplest names from the Middle Ages. Blain has been spelled Blain, Blane, Blaine, Blaines, Blahan and others. Early Notables of the Blain familyNotable amongst the family at this time was
Blain World RankingIn the United States, the name Blain is the 6,241st most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1 However, in Quebec, Canada, the name Blain is ranked the 623rd most popular surname. 2 And in France, the name Blain is the 1,373rd popular surname with an estimated 4,157 people with that name. 3 Migration of the Blain family to IrelandSome of the Blain family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
The east coasts of the United States and Canada are still populated by many of the descendents of the Boernician-Scottish families who made that great crossing. They distributed themselves evenly when they first arrived, but at the time of the War of Independence those who remained loyal to England went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. This century, many of their ancestors have recovered their past heritage through highland games and other Scottish functions in North America. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Investigation of the origins of family names on the North American continent has revealed that many immigrants bearing the name Blain or a variant listed above: Blain Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Blain Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Blain Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
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: Blain Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
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: Paritur pax bello Motto Translation: Peace is obtained by war.
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