Show ContentsLehane History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished surname Lehane is a proud example of one of the more noteworthy Scottish surnames. In Scotland, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules and during the late Middle Ages, names that were derived from localities became increasingly widespread. Local names originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. The Lehane family originally lived in the Norman settlement of Lyons-la-Foret, before migrating to England and Scotland. 1

Early Origins of the Lehane family

The surname Lehane was first found in Perthshire where Sir Roger de Lyon settled in Scotland in 1098 and called the lands there Glen Lyon. "According to the family tradition the Lyons came to Scotland from France, by way of England, in the course of the twelfth century." 2

However, it appears the family was indeed in England before the 1100s. "Ingelram de Lions came to England 1066, and held Corsham and Culington from the King. He had Ranulph, whose brother William de Lions had a grant in Norfolk from Earl Walter Giffard, and left descendants there." 1

Moving north into Scotland, "John de Lyon obtained from David II a grant of the baronies of Forteviot and Fergundeny in Perthshire and Drumgawan in Aberdeenshire; his son, Sir John Lyon, was Secretary to Robert II, whose youngest daughter, Lady Jane Stewart, he married, and was created Lord Glamis, made Great Chamberlain, and Lord Chancellor of Scotland, and received grants of the Thanedom of Glamis in Forfarshire, and of the Barony of Kinghorn in Fifeshire. " 3

Another source claims that the family arrived via England later. "The name was not uncommon in England in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, and landowners of the name were in occupation in several of the English shires in the reigns of Edward I and Edward II. The first of the name recorded in Scotland, probably an English soldier, was Thomas Lyon, crossbowman, who formed one of the garrison of Linlithgow peel in the pay of Edward II. " 2

Mention should now be made of the numerous listings of the family in England at about the same time. Here it is generally thought that the first record of the name was Roger de Leonibus filius Jeffrey de Lions who was listed in the Feet of Fines of Norfolk during the reign of Henry III of England (reign 1216-1272.) The same source lists John de Leonibus in Southamptonshire and Peter de Leonibus in Northamptonshire. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: Judaeus Leo and Jacob filius Leonis in Lincolnshire; John Leon in Oxfordshire; and Roger de Lyons, Wiltshire. 4

Early History of the Lehane family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lehane research. Another 351 words (25 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1105, 1203, 1275, 1310, 1332, 1334, 1342, 1371, 1381, 1393, 1411, 1425, 1445, 1499, 1509, 1525, 1550, 1643, 1663, 1695, 1696, 1702, 1707, 1712, 1715 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Lehane History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lehane Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Lyon, Lions, Lyons and others.

Early Notables of the Lehane family

Notable among the family at this time was John Lyon, 2nd Earl of Kinghorne; and his son, Patrick Lyon, 3rd Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne (1643-1695), a Scottish peer; John Lyon, 4th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne (1663-1712), a Scottish peer; John Lyon, 5th...
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lehane Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Lehane family to Ireland

Some of the Lehane family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 118 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Canada Lehane migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lehane Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Dennis Lehane, aged 29, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "Thomas Hanford" from Cork, Ireland
  • John Lehane, aged 30, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1837 aboard the barque "Robert Watt" from Cork, Ireland

Australia Lehane migration to Australia +

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

Lehane Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Lehane, (Lyons, Leehan, Lehan, Lehars), (b. 1799), aged 31, Irish labourer who was convicted in County Cork, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Edward" on 17th October 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died 1879 5
  • Miss Margaret Lehane, (b. 1828), aged 23, Irish house maid who was convicted in Cork, Ireland for 7 years for arson, transported aboard the "Blackfriar" on 24th January 1851, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), she died in 1854 6
  • Honora Lehane, aged 23, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Grand Trianon"

Contemporary Notables of the name Lehane (post 1700) +

  • Stephanie LeHane, American actress and producer, known for LA vs. OC (2018), What We Do Is Top Secret (2018) and Octoroon (2018)
  • Dennis Lehane (b. 1965), American Edgar Allan Poe Award and Writers Guild of America Award winning novelist who has published more than a dozen novels; his fourth novel, Gone, Baby, Gone, was adapted as a 2007 film of the same name
  • Lesley Lehane (b. 1963), née Welch, a retired American long distance runner who placed first in the 1991 San Francisco Marathon
  • Kevin Lehane, Irish Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award and Irish Film and Television Award nominated screenwriter, known for Grabbers (2012)
  • Cornelius "Con" Lehane (1877-1919), Irish socialist active in the Irish Socialist Republican Party, from Coachford, County Cork
  • Patrick Desmond Lehane (d. 1976), Irish farmer and political candidate at the 1943 and 1944 general elections for the Cork South-East constituency
  • Jan Lehane (b. 1941), birth name Jan Lehane O'Neill, a former Australian female tennis player


The Lehane 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: Pro rege et patria
Motto Translation: For King and country.


  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. 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)
  3. Sims, Clifford Stanley The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames. 1862. Print.
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th November 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/edward
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blackfriar


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