Cleghourn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

The roots of the name Cleghourn are found among the Strathclyde-Briton people of the ancient Scottish/English Borderlands. Cleghourn was originally found in Cleghorn, Lanarkshire.

Early Origins of the Cleghourn family

The surname Cleghourn 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 Cleghourn family

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

Cleghourn Spelling Variations

In the era before dictionaries, there were no rules governing the spelling or translation of names or any other words. Consequently, there are an enormous number of spelling variations in Medieval Scottish names. Cleghourn has appeared as Claghorn, Cleghorn, Claghorne, Cleghorne, Gleghorn and many more.

Early Notables of the Cleghourn family

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

Migration of the Cleghourn family

The freedom, opportunity, and land of the North American colonies beckoned. There, Scots found a place where they were generally free from persecution and where they could go on to become important players in the birth of new nations. Some fought in the American War of Independence, while others went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these Scottish settlers have been able to recover their lost national heritage in the last century through highland games and Clan societies in North America. Among them: James Claghorn who settled in New England in 1652; Robert Cleghorn settled in New England in 1771.

The Cleghourn 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)