Claghourn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

Claghourn was first used as a surname in the Scottish/English Borderlands by the Strathclyde-Briton. The first Claghourn family lived in Cleghorn, Lanarkshire.

Early Origins of the Claghourn family

The surname Claghourn was first found in Lanarkshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Lannraig) a former county in the central Strathclyde region of Scotland, now divided into the Council Areas of North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, and the City of Glasgow. Cleghorn in a small village north-east of the town of Lanark and is the ancient home to the family.

"The home of the Cleghorns is in the West of Scotland, but a group of families of the name flourished in the parish of Cramond for several generations, and Robert Cleghorn, farmer, at Saughton, near Edinburgh, was a friend of Robert Burns." 1

Early History of the Claghourn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Claghourn research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1541 is included under the topic Early Claghourn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Claghourn Spelling Variations

Medieval Scottish names are rife with spelling variations. This is due to the fact that scribes in that era spelled according to the sound of words, rather than any set of rules. Claghourn has been spelled Claghorn, Cleghorn, Claghorne, Cleghorne, Gleghorn and many more.

Early Notables of the Claghourn family

More information is included under the topic Early Claghourn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Claghourn family

Many Scots were left with few options other than to leave their homeland for the colonies across the Atlantic. Some of these families fought to defend their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. Others went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these families have recently been able to rediscover their roots through Clan societies and other Scottish organizations. Among them: James Claghorn who settled in New England in 1652; Robert Cleghorn settled in New England in 1771.

The Claghourn 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: Insperata floruit
Motto Translation: It has flourished beyond expectations

Citations +

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)