Show ContentsClaghourne History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Claghourne

What does the name Claghourne mean?

The ancestors of the Claghourne family lived among the Strathclyde-Briton people of the Scottish/English Borderlands. Claghourne is a name for someone who lived in Cleghorn, Lanarkshire.

Early Origins of the Claghourne family

The surname Claghourne 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 Claghourne family

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

Claghourne Spelling Variations

Spelling and translation were hardly exact sciences in Medieval Scotland. Sound, rather than any set of rules, was the basis for spellings, so one name was often spelled different ways even within a single document. Spelling variations are thus an extremely common occurrence in Medieval Scottish names. Claghourne has been spelled Claghorn, Cleghorn, Claghorne, Cleghorne, Gleghorn and many more.

Early Notables of the Claghourne family

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

Migration of the Claghourne family

Such hard times forced many to leave their homeland in search of opportunity across the Atlantic. Many of these families settled along the east coast of North America in communities that would become the backbones of the young nations of the United States and Canada. The ancestors of many of these families have rediscovered their roots in the 20th century through the establishment of Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations. Among them: James Claghorn who settled in New England in 1652; Robert Cleghorn settled in New England in 1771.



The Claghourne 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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