Trahairn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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• Wales

Early Origins of the Trahairn family

Early History of the Trahairn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Trahairn research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1510, 1558, 1603, 1635, 1636, 1644, 1674 and 1686 are included under the topic Early Trahairn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Trahairn Spelling Variations

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Trahairn has occasionally been spelled Traherne, Trahern, Treherne, Trehern, Traherne, Trahairn, Trahearne, Trahane, Trahan, Trehearn, Trahearn, Trehane and many more.

Early Notables of the Trahairn family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Bartholomew Traheron (1510?-1558?), Protestant writer, born about 1510, descended from an ancient Cornish family, and is said to have been a native of...
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Trahairn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Trahairn family

The Welsh migration to North America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries contributed greatly to its rapid development. These migrants were in search of land, work, and freedom. Those Welsh families that survived the long ocean journey were critical to the development of new industries and factories, and to the quick settlement of land. They also added to an ever-growing rich cultural heritage. A search of the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Trahairn: Samuel Traherne who settled in Jamaica in 1664; Charles and Margueritte Trahan settled in Maryland in 1763; John Trehearne settled in Virginia in 1622.