Clegghourn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

It was in the Scottish/English Borderlands that the Strathclyde-Briton people first used the ancient name Clegghourn. It was a name for someone who lived in Cleghorn, Lanarkshire.

Early Origins of the Clegghourn family

The surname Clegghourn 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 Clegghourn family

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

Clegghourn Spelling Variations

Scribes in Medieval Scotland spelled names by sound rather than any set of rules, so an enormous number of spelling variations exist in names of that era. Clegghourn has been spelled Claghorn, Cleghorn, Claghorne, Cleghorne, Gleghorn and many more.

Early Notables of the Clegghourn family

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

Migration of the Clegghourn family

The number of Strathclyde Clan families sailing for North America increased steadily as the persecution continued. In the colonies, they could find not only freedom from the iron hand of the English government, but land to settle on. The American War of Independence allowed many of these settlers to prove their independence, while some chose to go to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Scots played essential roles in the forging of both great nations. Among them: James Claghorn who settled in New England in 1652; Robert Cleghorn settled in New England in 1771.

The Clegghourn 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

Citations +

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)