Kleyn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Scotland
Ireland

The west coast of Scotland and the rocky Hebrides islands are the ancient home of the Kleyn family. The root of their name is a devotion to St. John. The surname is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Gille Eathain, a patronymic name meaning "son of the servant of Saint John." The Clan is descended from Eachan Reaganach, (brother of Lachlan the progenitor of the Macleans of Duart). These two brothers were both descended from Gilleathain na Tuaidh, known as 'Gillian of the Battleaxe', a famed warrior of the 5th century. Eachan, or Hector was given the lands of Lochbuie from John, the first Lord of the Isles, some time in the 14th century.

Early Origins of the Kleyn family

The surname Kleyn was first found in the Western Isles where the Clan held extensive lands on almost every island in the Western Hebrides.

Early History of the Kleyn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kleyn research. Another 139 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1310, 1320, 1370, 1411, 1500, 1560, 1582, 1604, 1620, 1630, 1645, 1649, 1650, 1651, 1658, 1666, 1670, 1674, 1687, 1716, 1745 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Kleyn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kleyn Spelling Variations

Spelling variations were extremely common in medieval names, since scribes from that era recorded names according to sound rather than a standard set of rules. Kleyn has appeared in various documents spelled MacLean, MacLaine, MacLane, MacLeane, MacClean, MacClain, MacClaine, MacGhille Eoin (Gaelic) and many more.

Early Notables of the Kleyn family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was Hector MacLean, Lord of Dowart (c.1560-c.1630), Scottish Lord of the Clan MacLean; Francis Cleyn (Clein, Franz Klein) (c. 1582-1658), a painter and tapestry designer; Sir John Maclean, 1st Baronet, (1604-1666); Sir Hector Maclean, 2nd Baronet of Morvern (c.1620-1651), the 18th Clan Chief of Clan Maclean from 1649 to 1651...
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kleyn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kleyn family to Ireland

Some of the Kleyn family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kleyn migration to the United States +

Ancestors of many of the Dalriadan families who crossed the Atlantic still live along the east coast of the United States and Canada. Some Scottish settlers arrived in Canada during the American War of Independence as United Empire Loyalists, while others stayed south to fight for a new nation. The descendants of Scottish settlers in both countries began to rediscover their heritage in the 19th and 20th centuries through Clan societies and highland games. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Kleyn or a variant listed above:

Kleyn Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Willemyntje Huygens De Kleyn, who landed in New Netherland(s) in 1680 1

Kleyn Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Koenraet Kleyn, who arrived in New York in 1709 1
Lodewyk Kleyn, who landed in New York in 1709 1
Ludwig Kleyn, who arrived in New York in 1709 1
Michael Kleyn, who landed in New York in 1709 1
Hans Willem Kleyn, who landed in New York in 1709 1
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Kleyn Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Heinr Kleyn, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1802 1

The Kleyn 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: Virtue mine honour
Motto Translation: Virtue is my honour.

Citations +

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)