Show ContentsClaghorne History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Claghorne

What does the name Claghorne mean?

In ancient Scotland, the first people to use Claghorne as a surname were the Strathclyde-Britons. It was a name someone who lived in Cleghorn, Lanarkshire.

Early Origins of the Claghorne family

The surname Claghorne was first found in Lanarkshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Lannraig) a former county in the central Strathclyde region of Scotland, now divided into the Council Areas of North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, and the City of Glasgow. Cleghorn in a small village north-east of the town of Lanark and is the ancient home to the family.

"The home of the Cleghorns is in the West of Scotland, but a group of families of the name flourished in the parish of Cramond for several generations, and Robert Cleghorn, farmer, at Saughton, near Edinburgh, was a friend of Robert Burns." 1

Early History of the Claghorne family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Claghorne research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1541 is included under the topic Early Claghorne History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Claghorne Spelling Variations

The origin of rules governing the spelling of names and even words is a very recent innovation. Before that, words and names were spelled according to sound, and, therefore, often appeared under several different spelling variations in a single document. Claghorne has been spelled Claghorn, Cleghorn, Claghorne, Cleghorne, Gleghorn and many more.

Early Notables of the Claghorne family

More information is included under the topic Early Claghorne Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Claghorne family

The persecution faced in their homeland left many Scots with little to do but sail for the colonies of North America. There they found land, freedom, opportunity, and nations in the making. They fought for their freedom in the American War of Independence, or traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In both cases, they made enormous contributions to the formation of those great nations. Among them: James Claghorn who settled in New England in 1652; Robert Cleghorn settled in New England in 1771.



The Claghorne 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: Insperata floruit
Motto Translation: It has flourished beyond expectations


  1. 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)


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