Show ContentsOrian History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Orian family

The surname Orian was first found in Aberdeenshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Obar Dheathain), a historic county, and present day Council Area of Aberdeen, located in the Grampian region of northeastern Scotland, where they held a family seat in their territories. The Pictish influence on Scottish history diminished after Kenneth Macalpine became King of all Scotland. But those east coast families still played an important role in government and were more accessible to Government than their western highland counterparts. Allegiances were important to Scottish middle age survival. Later they held a family seat in the parish Kennay and Henry Owrum was elected a councillor of Aberdeen in 1479.

The name is derived from Ormr, 'serpent,' a favorite Old Norse personal name. "Orm or Honn was sacerdos of Hume between 1153-1156. Orm filius Eilaf witnessed King David's great charter to Melrose Abbey, a. 1153. John, son of Orm, was one of the witnesses to Waldeve's charter of Dundas to Helias, son of Huctred, and is probably the John filius Horum who witnessed a charter by EsChina uxor Walteri. Orm was father of John, lord of Hunum (Hownam), c. 1164-1174, and William filius Orm witnessed a cherter by Dovenald, abbe de Brechin, c. 1204-1211." [1]

Further to the south in England, John Orum (died 1436?) was an English churchman and academic. He was vice-chancellor of Oxford University, and Archdeacon of Barnstaple from 1400 to 1429.

Early History of the Orian family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Orian research. Another 204 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1305, 1502, 1564, 1565, 1607, 1617, 1633, 1644, 1672, 1694, 1722, 1725 and 1745 are included under the topic Early Orian History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Orian Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Orem, Orme, Orrem, Orum, Orun, Orumm, Oramm, Orunn, Orenn, Oren, Oram and many more.

Early Notables of the Orian family

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

Migration of the Orian family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: John Oram, who settled in Barbados in 1635; Archibald Oram, who settled in Virginia in 1666; Catherine Oram, who arrived in Jamaica in 1727; and Ann Oram, who arrived in Maryland in 1768..


Contemporary Notables of the name Orian (post 1700) +

  • Orian M. "Toad" Landreth (1904-1996), American head football coach at the University of Arizona in 1938


  1. 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)


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