Show ContentsLonghorn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Longhorn first arose amongst the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from their having lived in the county of Cumberland. Longhorn is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. In this case the surname was originally derived from the Old English word lang, which means long and the Old Norse word horn simply which means horn. Therefore the original bearers of the surname lived in or near a long piece of land that was shaped like a horn.

Early Origins of the Longhorn family

The surname Longhorn was first found in Cumberland, where they held a family seat from early times. Laugharne (Welsh: Talacharn) is a town in Carmarthenshire, Wales and home to Laugharne Castle which dates back to 1116 and was the meeting place of Henry II of England with Rhys ap Gruffudd in 1171-1172.

Early History of the Longhorn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Longhorn research. Another 183 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1581, 1608, 1620, 1624, 1631, 1644, 1648, 1663, 1670, 1678, 1679, 1715, 1730, 1735, 1754, 1766, 1779, 1795 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Longhorn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Longhorn Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Longhorn has appeared include Langhorn, Langhorne, Langharn, Langharne and others.

Early Notables of the Longhorn family

Distinguished members of the family include Sir William Langhorne, 1st Baronet (1631-1715), Governor of Madras in the 1670s; Blessed Richard Langhorne (c. 1624-1679), a barrister executed as part of the Popish Plot; Major General Langharne, Commander...
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Longhorn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Longhorn migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Longhorn arrived in North America very early:

Longhorn Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Longhorn, who arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1647 1
  • Richard Longhorn, who arrived in Rowley, Massachusetts in 1669 1
  • Robert Longhorn, who arrived in Delaware in 1693 1


  1. 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)


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