Show ContentsTrahaourn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Trahaourn surname comes from the ancient Welsh personal name Trahern. Some instances of the surname are derived from the name of the settlement of Trehane in Cornwall.

Early Origins of the Trahaourn family

The surname Trahaourn was first found in Flintshire (Welsh: Sir y Fflint), a historic county, created after the defeat of the Welsh Kingdom of Gwynedd in 1284, and located in north-east Wales, where they held a family seat at Trehaverne (Tregavran) which was referenced in the Domesday Book.

This area is now known as Kenywn and is a civil parish in Cornwall. Kenwyn is now regarded as a suburb of the city of Truro and gives its name to one of three rivers that flow through the city. However, the surname is believed to be descended from Traherne (Trahaearn ap Caradog) son of Caradoc, Prince of North Wales in 1073. 1

Today Trehan is a hamlet near Saltash in Cornwall, England.

Early History of the Trahaourn family

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

Trahaourn Spelling Variations

Although there are not an extremely large number Welsh surnames, there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations of those surnames. This variety of spellings began almost immediately after the acceptance of surnames within Welsh society. As time progressed, these old Brythonic names were eventually were recorded in English. This process was problematic in that many of the highly inflected sounds of the native language of Wales could not be properly captured in English. Some families, however, did decide to modify their own names to indicate a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even a patriotic affiliation. The name Trahaourn has seen various spelling variations: Traherne, Trahern, Treherne, Trehern, Traherne, Trahairn, Trahearne, Trahane, Trahan, Trehearn, Trahearn, Trehane and many more.

Early Notables of the Trahaourn 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 Trahaourn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Trahaourn family

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many people from Wales joined the general migration to North America in search of land, work, and freedom. These immigrants greatly contributed to the rapid development of the new nations of Canada and the United States. They also added a rich and lasting cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. Investigation of immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Trahaourn: Samuel Traherne who settled in Jamaica in 1664; Charles and Margueritte Trahan settled in Maryland in 1763; John Trehearne settled in Virginia in 1622.



  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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