Kerghan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

Etymology of Kerghan

The Kerghan name was originally an Anglo-Saxon name that was given to a churchwarden; the custodian of a church. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old Norman word kirkja, which meant church, and man, the Old English word for man. The original bearers of the name were responsible for taking care of the buildings and grounds of the local church, which was an honored occupation. The name is primarily found in the north of England, where the Old Norman language had a great impact due to the waves of immigration from Scandinavia in the 9th and 10th centuries. Norman is a contraction of Norsemen; we call them the Vikings. While they came for rapine and pillage, many of them stayed to raise families. There are many names in the north of England that show the influence of these settlers on the English language.

Early Origins of the Kerghan family

Early History of the Kerghan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kerghan research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1230, 1259, 1270, 1273, 1379, 1662 and 1674 are included under the topic Early Kerghan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kerghan Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Kerghan has undergone many spelling variations, including Kirkman, Kirkeman, Kerman, Churchman, Kyrkman, Kyrkeman and many more.

Early Notables of the Kerghan family

Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kerghan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kerghan family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Kerghan were among those contributors: Sarah Kirkman who arrived in America in 1772; Elizabeth who sailed to America in 1775; James Kirkman, who came to Philadelphia in 1803; Henry Kirkman, who arrived in Baltimore in 1823 and William Kirkman, who came to Philadelphia in 1844..