| ![Show Contents]() Claflin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of ClaflinWhat does the name Claflin mean? The west coast of Scotland and the rocky Hebrides islands are the ancient home of the Claflin family. The root of their name is the personal name Lachlann. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Lachlainn, denoting the son of Lachlann. Although most feel Lachlan Mor, a great Chief who lived by Loch Fyne in the thirteenth century, is the Clan founder, the legend of descent from the ancient Gaelic King, Niall of the Nine Hostages, who reigned in 400 AD, offers some clues as to the clan's early origins. Lochlann, in old Gaelic means literally, 'Norway,' and was the favorite Christian name of the royal house of O'Neill in Northern Ireland, a house descended from Niall of the Nine hostages, and said to be the family with the oldest history in Europe. A branch of the O'Neill's took the surname MacLochlain and soon became rival Kings to the O'Neills. King Brian O'Neill slew the last King Domnall MacLochlainn. His son Anrothan, who was ancestor of the MacLachlans in Scotland, married the daughter of the King of Scots, thereby gaining the inheritance of Cowall and Knapdale in Scotland. Anrothan MacLachlan was progenitor of the MacLachlans of Strathlachlan, the Lamonts, the Lyons, the MacSorleys, the MacEwans, and the MacMillans. It was in the mid-twelfth century that each of these branches separated into distinct entities. Early Origins of the Claflin familyThe surname Claflin was first found in Argyllshire (Gaelic erra Ghaidheal), the region of western Scotland corresponding roughly with the ancient Kingdom of Dál Riata, in the Strathclyde region of Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Argyll and Bute, where this Clan first settled in Scotland in 1100 when Lachlan was heir of Fergus, Lord of Galloway. In 1238, a charter recorded Lachlan Mor's father increasing the endowment to Paisley Abbey. When, in 1292, King John Baliol erected Argyll into a sheriffdom, Gillescop MacLachlan was one of the twelve principal barons whose land it encompassed. In 1296, Ewen MacLachlan was forced to swear loyalty to the English King Edward I, but this loyalty was formally changed back to Scotland in 1305, when Gillescop MacLachlan, like his neighbors the Campbells, swore allegiance to Robert the Bruce. Gillescop was a member of the Barons of Bruce's first parliament at St. Andrews, in 1308. 1 King John of England (reigned: 1199-1216) was also known as John Lackland from the Norman French, "Johan sanz Terre" or "John without land." Early History of the Claflin familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Claflin research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1292, 1600 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Claflin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Claflin Spelling VariationsSpelling variations were extremely common in medieval names, since scribes from that era recorded names according to sound rather than a standard set of rules. Claflin has appeared in various documents spelled MacLachlan, Lachlan, MacLachlane, McGlothan, McGlothin, MacLauchlan, MacLauchlane, MacLauchlin, MacLaughlin, Lauchlan and many more. Early Notables of the Claflin familyMore information is included under the topic Early Claflin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Claflin RankingIn the United States, the name Claflin is the 15,889th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2 Migration of the Claflin family to IrelandSome of the Claflin family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Claflin migration to the United States | + |
Ancestors of many of the Dalriadan families who crossed the Atlantic still live along the east coast of the United States and Canada. Some Scottish settlers arrived in Canada during the American War of Independence as United Empire Loyalists, while others stayed south to fight for a new nation. The descendants of Scottish settlers in both countries began to rediscover their heritage in the 19th and 20th centuries through Clan societies and highland games. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Claflin or a variant listed above:
Claflin Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Robert Claflin, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1661 3
Claflin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Mr. Martin Claflin, who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Jubilee" in 1837 4
- Mr. Geo Claflin, aged 24, settler from England who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Robert L. Lane" in 1857 4
- A. Claflin, aged 34, settler from England who arrived in New York aboard the ship "England" in 1883 4
- Harriet Claflin, aged 43, settler from England who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Etruria" in 1890 4
- Mrs. Claflin, aged 41, settler from England who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Teutonic" in 1894 4
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Claflin Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- W. H. Claflin, who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Majestic" in 1903 4
- Frank Claflin, aged 30, who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Vigilancia" in 1904 4
- Albert W. Claflin, who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Majestic" in 1904 4
- Louisa H. Claflin, who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Majestic" in 1904 4
- Arthur A. Claflin, who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Majestic" in 1904 4
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Claflin migration to Australia | + |
Claflin Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century- Miss Pamella G. Claflin, who arrived in Brisbane, Australia aboard the ship "Mongolia" in 1934 5
| Contemporary Notables of the name Claflin (post 1700) | + |
- Horace Brigham Claflin (1811-1885), born in Milford, Massachusetts, an American merchant
- Anne Claflin (b. 1983), American politician and member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
- Mamie Claflin (1867-1929), an American temperance and woman suffrage leader
- William Henry Claflin Jr. (1893-1982), American businessman and amateur archaeologist, working in Utah and at Stallings Island in Georgia
- Lady Tennessee Celeste Claflin (1844-1923), Viscountess of Montserrat and American suffragist best known as the first woman, to open a Wall Street brokerage firm, which occurred in 1870, with her sister
- William Claflin (1818-1905), American politician, industrialist and philanthropist, He served as the 27th Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (1869-1872)
- Edith Frances Claflin (1875-1953), American linguist, a noted scholar of Latin and Greek
- Avery Claflin (1898-1979), American composer, he served as president for the French American Banking Corp
- Adelaide Avery Claflin (1846-1931), born in Boston, Massachusetts, she was an American suffragist and ordained minister
- ... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
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: Fortis et fidus
Motto Translation: Brave and trusty.
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- "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)
- Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
- National Archives of Australia retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ListingReports/PassengerListing.aspx
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