Lochweer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain were the first to use the name of Lochweer. The name had a practical origin since it came from when its initial bearer worked as a person who was a locksmith. 1 Occupational names that were derived from the common trades of the medieval era transcended European cultural and linguistic boundaries. Occupational names have remained fairly common in the modern period. This is attested to by the continuing appearance of occupational suffixes at the end of many English surnames. Some of these suffixes include: herd, monger, maker, hewer, smith, and wright.

"It is interesting to notice that while Lockyer has predominated over Locksmith in our personal nomenclature, yet locksmith has nearly ousted lockyer as an occupative term." 2

Early Origins of the Lochweer family

The surname Lochweer was first found in Somerset, where Kirby's Quest listed some of the first entries for the family: Nicholas le Lokyere; and Lucas le Lokier as both residing there, 1 Edward III (during the first year of Edward III's reign.) 3 And this tradition continued through the years as the Register of the University of Oxford lists William Lokier from Somerset in 1604. 2

London had early records for the family too as the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Henry le Lockier there at that time. 4

Early History of the Lochweer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lochweer research. Another 65 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1294, 1611, 1685, 1698 and 1771 are included under the topic Early Lochweer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lochweer Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Lochweer include Lockyer, Lockyers, Lockier, Lokier, Locker, Lockweer and many more.

Early Notables of the Lochweer family

Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lochweer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Lochweer family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Lochweer or a variant listed above: George Lockyear, who settled in Virginia in 1663; Thomas Lockyer, who came to Virginia in 1663; and Jacob and Barbara Lockyer, who settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1766..

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
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.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print