Show ContentsOrin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Orin family

The surname Orin 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 Orin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Orin 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 Orin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Orin 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 Orin family

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


Canada Orin migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Orin Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. John Orin U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 [2]

Contemporary Notables of the name Orin (post 1700) +

  • Wayne Orin Southwick M.D. (1923-2016), American surgeon and academic, 1st Chairman of the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at Yale University from 1958 until 1979
  • R. Orin Cornett (1913-2002), American physicist
  • Lieutenant Jesse Orin Creech (1895-1948), American World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories
  • Arthur Orin Bement (1847-1915), American Republican politician, Mayor of Lansing, Michigan, 1892-93
  • Orin C. Smith (1942-2018), American coffee executive, president and CEO of Starbucks (2000–2005)
  • Orin P. Dolloff, American Republican politician, Member of Maine State House of Representatives from Cumberland County, 1919-20
  • Orin Greenhill "Mount" Helvey (1903-1969), American college football player from Wynnewood, Oklahoma, All-Southern in 1926, awarded the Porter Cup as Sewanee's best all-around athlete in 1927
  • Orin Gould Murfin (1876-1956), American admiral in the United States Navy, Commander of the Albany in 1916, Concord, 1923-1925 and of West Virginia, 1928-1929, Commander-in-Chief, Asiatic Fleet 1935-1936
  • Orin Starn, American Professor of Cultural Anthropology and History and Chair of the Cultural Anthropology Department at Duke University
  • Orin Hargraves, American lexicographer and writer


  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)
  2. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X


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