Herrin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The name Herrin has been recorded in British history since the time when the Anglo-Saxons ruled over the region. The name is assumed to have been given to someone who was a person who made a living by catching or selling herring. Early examples of the surname Herrin come from the Old French word hareng, while later examples come from the Old English word hering, which was originally derived from the Old English words hæring and hering; these words all mean herring.

However, one very reputable source claims origin of the name disagrees. "There can be no doubt about the parentage of our Herrings. It will be observed that the prefix 'le' is never found in these early records, suggesting that the surname is not (at least in the majority of cases) a nickname taken from the fish. They are generally found inland also." 1

And another reputable source agrees. "This name may be the same as Hering, from some locality compounded of ing, a meadow. Hornsey, Middlesex, from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century was called in public records Haringee, Haringhee, or Haringay, signifying the meadow of hares." 2

Early Origins of the Herrin family

The surname Herrin was first found in many counties throughout ancient Britain. By example, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed John Hareng, Bedfordshire; Alan Haring, Cambridgeshire; Nigel Haring, Canterbury; Robert Henn, Cambridgeshire; and Roger Hering, Oxfordshire and all holding lands at that time. 1

Further to the north in Scotland, "Adam Hereng' witnessed a charter by William the Lion to the Priory of Coldingham. Petronilla, daughter of Adam Harang of Meinichoch (Minnigaff), granted to the church of Melrose part of the lands of Bortwic in the parish of Roberton in the reign of Alexander II. An account of the domestic tragedy which nearly brought the family of Herring to ruin in 1371 is described in the Memorie of the Somervills, I, p. 118-121. The tragedy occurred at Gilmerton Grange near Edinbergh. Gilbert Heryng witnessed a charter of the Haigh of Scuny in Fife, 1395, and John Hering, dominus de Glasclune, was present at perambulation of the marches of Kirknes and Louchor in the same year. " 3

Early History of the Herrin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Herrin research. Another 197 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1166, 1190, 1372, 1450, 1453, 1457, 1479, 1483, 1491, 1508, 1574, 1582, 1585, 1589, 1599, 1628, 1644, 1693, 1704, 1747, 1750, 1757 and 1815 are included under the topic Early Herrin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Herrin Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Herrin has been spelled many different ways, including Herring, Herrin, Hering and others.

Early Notables of the Herrin family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Henry Herringman (1628-1704), a prominent London bookseller and publisher; he was the first publisher of the works of John Dryden; and Thomas Herring (1693-1757), Archbishop of Canterbury from 1747 to...
Francis Herring (d. 1628), was an English physician, a native of Nottinghamshire who was educated at Christ's College, Cambridge (B.A. 1585, M.A. 1589). On 3 July 1599, being then a doctor of medicine...
Julines Herring (1582-1644), was a Welsh Puritan divine, born at Flambere-Mayre, Montgomeryshire. He was educated under Perkin, minister at Morechurch in Shropshire, and at the grammar school at Coven...
Thomas Herring (1693-1757), was Archbishop of Canterbury, son of John Herring, rector of Walsoken, Norfolk and was born there in 1693. 4

Herrin Ranking

In the United States, the name Herrin is the 4,601^st most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 5

Herrin migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Herrins to arrive in North America:

Herrin Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Patrick Herrin, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1765 6

Herrin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Herrin, who arrived in New York, NY in 1815 6
Moses Herrin, who arrived in Texas in 1835 6

Herrin migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Herrin Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Gertrude Herrin, (b. 1872), aged 15, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Almora" arriving in Queensland, Australia on 15th August 1887 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Herrin (post 1700) +

Rich Herrin (1933-2020), American basketball coach at Morthland College (2012-2014)
Thomas Edward Herrin (1929-1999), American Major League Baseball relief pitcher
Kymberly Ellen Herrin (b. 1957), American model and actress
Josh Herrin (b. 1990), American professional motorcycle road racer
Teresa Herrin, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 2008 8
Smiley C. Herrin Jr., American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Columbia, Missouri, 1968-77 (acting, 1968) 8
S. H. Herrin, American politician, Mayor of Cullman, Alabama, 1887-89 8
Ralph Herrin, American politician, Mayor of Waycross, Georgia, 1951 8
John Herrin, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Wyoming, 1972 8
Judith Herrin (b. 1942), English Professor of Late Antique and Byzantine studies at King's College London
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
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)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_queensland.pdf
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html