Show ContentsGleghorn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Strathclyde-Briton people of ancient Scotland were the first to use the name Gleghorn. The Gleghorn family lived in Cleghorn, Lanarkshire.

Early Origins of the Gleghorn family

The surname Gleghorn 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 Gleghorn family

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

Gleghorn Spelling Variations

Medieval Scottish names are rife with spelling variations. This is due to the fact that scribes in that era spelled according to the sound of words, rather than any set of rules. Gleghorn has been spelled Claghorn, Cleghorn, Claghorne, Cleghorne, Gleghorn and many more.

Early Notables of the Gleghorn family

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


United States Gleghorn migration to the United States +

Many Scots were left with few options other than to leave their homeland for the colonies across the Atlantic. Some of these families fought to defend their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. Others went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these families have recently been able to rediscover their roots through Clan societies and other Scottish organizations. Among them:

Gleghorn Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William Gleghorn, who landed in North Carolina in 1748 2
Gleghorn Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Gleghorn, who landed in South Carolina in 1814 2
  • William D Gleghorn, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1877 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Gleghorn (post 1700) +

  • Arthur Gleghorn, American musician, known for his recording of Two Poems of Balmont by Igor Stravinsky in 1955
  • Nigel William Gleghorn (b. 1962), former English professional footballer and manager
  • Tom Gleghorn, Australian artist, winner of the Mosman Art Prize in 1958


The Gleghorn 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)
  2. 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)


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