| ![Show Contents]() Calne History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of CalneWhat does the name Calne mean? The surname Calne is derived from the Welsh word "karn," which means "a pile of stones," such as was often used to mark a burial site. The forebears that initially bore the name Calne likely lived by a notable heap of stones. There may be a ancient Norman connection to the name as the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae notes "Robert and Geoffry le Caron, Normandy, 1180-95." 1 Early Origins of the Calne familyThe surname Calne was first found in Glamorganshire (Welsh: Sir Forgannwg), a region of South Wales, anciently part of the Welsh kingdom of Glywysing, where the "family claim descent from Ithel, King of Ghent, now Monmouthshire. Thomas o'r Gare, youngest son of Ithel, King of Ghent, was brought up at one of his father's seats called Pencarne (from pen, the head, and carne, a rock, a heap of stones), whence he was named Game, which continues the surname of the family." 2 3 Early History of the Calne familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Calne research. Another 117 words (8 lines of text) covering the year 1561 is included under the topic Early Calne History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Calne Spelling VariationsWelsh 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. Therefore, 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 Calne has occasionally been spelled Carn, Carne and others. Early Notables of the Calne familyAnother 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Calne Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Calne familyIn the 1800s and 1900s, many Welsh families left for North America, in search of land, work, and freedom. Those who made the trip successfully helped contribute to the growth of industry, commerce, and the cultural heritage of both Canada and the United States. In the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Calne Catherine Carne settled in New York with her husband David and four children in 1842; Jarrick Carne arrived in Philadelphia in 1732; John Carn settled in Barbados in 1678.
| Contemporary Notables of the name Calne (post 1700) | + |
- Sir Roy Yorke Calne FRS (1930-2024), British surgeon and pioneer in organ transplantation
- The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
- Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
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