Iren History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Iren is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Iren family lived in Norfolk. Their name, however, derives from their place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Airaines, in Somme, France.1

Early Origins of the Iren family

The surname Iren was first found in Norfolk where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in A.D. 1066.

Early History of the Iren family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Iren research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1548, 1576, 1578 and 1617 are included under the topic Early Iren History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Iren Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Irons, Kenirons, Hirons, Iron, Hieron and others.

Early Notables of the Iren family

Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Iren Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Iren family to Ireland

Some of the Iren family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Iren migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Iren or a variant listed above:

Iren Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Jane Iren, who arrived in Virginia in 1695 2

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
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)