| ![Show Contents]() Hurns History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
Ireland
Etymology of HurnsWhat does the name Hurns mean? Many Irish surnames can be traced back to their Gaelic forms. The name Hurns originally appeared in Gaelic as Ó hEachthigheirn or Ó hEachthigheirna, made up of the words "each" meaning "steed," and "thighearna," meaning "lord." This was first Anglicized O'Hagherin, which was later changed to O'Aherne before the prefix was eventually dropped. 1 Early Origins of the Hurns familyThe surname Hurns was first found in County Clare (Irish: An Clár) located on the west coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat as a Dalcassian sept from before the year 1000. However, with the disruptions of the Strongbow Invasion of 1172, they migrated southward to counties Cork and Waterford. In Waterford the name is predominantly Hearn and Hearne. Early History of the Hurns familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hurns research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1420, 1566, 1754, 1769, 1797 and 1806 are included under the topic Early Hurns History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Hurns Spelling VariationsDuring the Middle Ages, scribes recorded people's names as they saw fit. As a result, surnames often had many spelling variations. For Hurns some of these variations included: O'Aherne, O'Ahern, Hearne, O'Heffron, Haveran, Hayveren and many more. Early Notables of the Hurns familyMore information is included under the topic Early Hurns Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Hurns familyIrish families began leaving their homeland for North America in the late 18th century. These families were usually modestly well off, but they were looking forward to owning and working on a sizable tract of land of their own. This pattern of emigration continued until the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine sparked a major exodus of destitute and desperate Irish people. These people were not leaving for a grant of land in North America because by this time the East Coast had reached its saturation point and free land was scarce. They were merely looking to escape the disease, starvation, and hopelessness that Ireland had fallen into. Although these unfortunate immigrants did not receive a warm welcome by the established populations in the United States and what would become Canada, they were absolutely critical to the rapid development that these two nations enjoyed. They would help populate the western lands and provide the cheap labor required for a rapid industrialization. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many early bearers of the name Hurns or one of its variants: James Hearn from Carrick on Suir in County Tipperary settled in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, in 1798; James Heurn escaped from an Irish prison ship and settled at Bay Bull, Newfoundland, in 1734.
| Contemporary Notables of the name Hurns (post 1700) | + |
- Allen Bernard Hurns (b. 1991), former American NFL football wide receiver who played for the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins
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: Per ardua surgo
Motto Translation: I rise through difficulties.
- MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
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