Summerlin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Summerlin is an ancient Viking-Scottish name for a the Old Norse word sumarlithi, which means mariner, Viking, summer wanderer, or sailor.
Early Origins of the Summerlin family
The surname Summerlin was first found in the island of South Uist, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D. Descended from Somerled, King of the Vikings, scion of the MacDonald, Lord of the Isles, who died about 1057.
The first record of the name Somerled being used as a name was at Dunkeld, and the link between this person in 1169 and Somerled who had died 100 years before is not clear.
Another source notes that Sumerled or Somerled, Lord of the Isles (d. 1164), was "according to the Celtic tradition, the son of Gillebrede, son of Gilladoman, sixth in descent from Godfrey MacFergus, called in the Irish chronicle Toshach of the Isles; but some suppose him of Norse origin. " 1
Early History of the Summerlin family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Summerlin research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1238 and 1400 are included under the topic Early Summerlin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Summerlin Spelling Variations
Sound and intuition were the main things that scribes in the Middle Ages relied on when spelling and translating names. Since those factors varied, so did the spelling of the names. Spelling variations of the name Summerlin include Somerled, M'Illurdy, M'Corle, M'Coull, Somerledy and others.
Early Notables of the Summerlin family
More information is included under the topic Early Summerlin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Summerlin Ranking
In the United States, the name Summerlin is the 4,541st most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 2
Summerlin migration to the United States +
In North America, the monarchy was thousands of miles away and Scots were free to settle on their own land and practice their own beliefs. The American War of Independence provided an opportunity for these settlers to pay back the English monarchy and forge a new nation. Recently, this heritage has survived through North American highland games and Clan societies. Early North American immigration and passenger lists have revealed a number of people bearing the name Summerlin or a variant listed above:
Summerlin Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Thomas Summerlin, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1787 3
Contemporary Notables of the name Summerlin (post 1700) +
- Jean Amelia Summerlin (1842-1928), American eponym of Summerlin, Nevada; she was the mother of Howard R. Hughes Sr., the famous businessman, inventor and founder of Hughes Tool Company
- Robert L. Summerlin, American jurist and politician, the 5th Mayor of Orlando from 1878 to 1882, son of Jacob Summerlin
- Sam Summerlin (1928-2017), American journalist, author and foreign correspondent, known for his work at the Associated Press (1949-1975)
- Jacob Summerlin (1820-1893), aka the King of the Crackers and King of the Cracker Cow Hunters, reputed to be the first child born in Florida after the land was ceded by Spain
- George Thomas Summerlin (1872-1947), American army officer and diplomat from Louisiana, Chief of Protocol under Franklin Delano Roosevelt
- Mark Summerlin (b. 1970), American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
- Edgar Eugene Summerlin (1928-2006), American composer, jazz saxophonist, and music educator
The Summerlin 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: Per Mare Per Terras
Motto Translation: By sea and by land.
Citations +
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)