Lorrain History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:

Scotland

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Scotland, with its skirl of bagpipes and colorful tartans is the homeland of the noble surname Lorrain. In Scotland, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules and during the late Middle Ages, names that were derived from localities became increasingly widespread. Local names originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. The Lorrain family originally lived in the French province of Lorraine, before moving to England and Scotland, where the name was passed down through many generations.

"Lorrain is the name of a French ducal family who held the province of Lorraine continuously from the 11th century to 1740." 1

Early Origins of the Lorrain family

The surname Lorrain was first found in Northumberland, where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Kirk Hall. These estates were apparently obtained by the marriage of the Knight of Loraine to the del Strother heiress.

Another early record of the family in England was Geoffrey le Lohareng who was found in Staffordshire in the Pipe Rolls of 1158-1159. A few years later, Dauit le Loreng was listed in the Feet of Fines for Norfolk in 1197 and Thomas Loring was listed in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1280. 2

While the family was established in England in early times, the family rose to great prominence and popularity in Scotland. "Roger Loren, the first of the name in Scotland, witnessed an agreement between the Chapter of Moray and Sir Alan Durward, 1233. Dominus Roger de Loranger witnessed a charter by Morgrund, son of Abbe, c. 1239. The -or is merely a flourish over the g mistaken by the copyist for -or. Roger Lohering was juror on an inquest, 1244, concerning the behavior of certain Scottish knights charged with being accomplices of William de Marisco and other enemies of the king of England, accused of piracy in the Irish sea. Eustache de Loneyne and others were in 1333 directed by Edward III to survey the Castle of Berwick." 3

Early History of the Lorrain family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lorrain research. Another 215 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1354, 1358, 1361, 1563, 1590, 1603, 1608, 1624, 1625, 1634, 1657, 1680, 1692, 1698, 1699, 1710, 1719 and 1883 are included under the topic Early Lorrain History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lorrain Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Loraine, Loraigne, Lorain, Loran, Lorane, Loreygne, Lorrain, Lorrane, Loren, Lorren, Lorraigne, Lorraine and many more.

Early Notables of the Lorrain family

Notable among the family at this time was

Henry II (1563-1624), known as "the Good (le Bon)", the Duke of Lorraine from 1608 until his death; Nicole de Lorraine (1608-1657), Duchess of Lorraine and Bar from (1624-1625), and Duchess consort in...
Paul Lorrain (died 1719) was for twenty-two years was the secretary, translator, and copyist for Samuel Pepys, Ordinary of Newgate Prison in September 1698. " He was educated at neither of the English...

Lorrain Ranking

In France, the name Lorrain is the 2,651^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,500 - 3,000 people with that name. 4

Lorrain migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lorrain Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Pierre Lorrain, who arrived in Montreal in 1658

Lorrain migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Lorrain Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Joseph Lorrain, aged 33, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "John Banks" 5

Lorrain migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Lorrain Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Berger Lorrain, aged 34, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Golden Sea" in 1874
Annette Lorrain, aged 26, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Golden Sea" in 1874

Contemporary Notables of the name Lorrain (post 1700) +

Clyde Lorrain Cowan Jr. (1919-1974), American co-discoverer of the neutrino and shared the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1995
Walter Lorrain Brodie (1885-1918), Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross

The Lorrain Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Lauro resurgo
Motto Translation: I rise again with laurel.