Lachlan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

The root of the ancient Dalriadan-Scottish name Lachlan is the personal name Lachlann. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Lachlainn, denoting the son of Lachlann. Although most feel Lachlan Mor, a great Chief who lived by Loch Fyne in the thirteenth century, is the Clan founder, the legend of descent from the ancient Gaelic King, Niall of the Nine Hostages, who reigned in 400 AD, offers some clues as to the clan's early origins.

Lochlann, in old Gaelic means literally, 'Norway,' and was the favorite Christian name of the royal house of O'Neill in Northern Ireland, a house descended from Niall of the Nine hostages, and said to be the family with the oldest history in Europe. A branch of the O'Neill's took the surname MacLochlain and soon became rival Kings to the O'Neills.

King Brian O'Neill slew the last King Domnall MacLochlainn. His son Anrothan, who was ancestor of the MacLachlans in Scotland, married the daughter of the King of Scots, thereby gaining the inheritance of Cowall and Knapdale in Scotland. Anrothan MacLachlan was progenitor of the MacLachlans of Strathlachlan, the Lamonts, the Lyons, the MacSorleys, the MacEwans, and the MacMillans. It was in the mid-twelfth century that each of these branches separated into distinct entities.

Early Origins of the Lachlan family

The surname Lachlan was first found in Argyllshire (Gaelic erra Ghaidheal), the region of western Scotland corresponding roughly with the ancient Kingdom of Dál Riata, in the Strathclyde region of Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Argyll and Bute, where this Clan first settled in Scotland in 1100 when Lachlan was heir of Fergus, Lord of Galloway. In 1238, a charter recorded Lachlan Mor's father increasing the endowment to Paisley Abbey.

When, in 1292, King John Baliol erected Argyll into a sheriffdom, Gillescop MacLachlan was one of the twelve principal barons whose land it encompassed. In 1296, Ewen MacLachlan was forced to swear loyalty to the English King Edward I, but this loyalty was formally changed back to Scotland in 1305, when Gillescop MacLachlan, like his neighbors the Campbells, swore allegiance to Robert the Bruce. Gillescop was a member of the Barons of Bruce's first parliament at St. Andrews, in 1308. [1]

King John of England (reigned: 1199-1216) was also known as John Lackland from the Norman French, "Johan sanz Terre" or "John without land."

Early History of the Lachlan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lachlan research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1292, 1600 and are included under the topic Early Lachlan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lachlan Spelling Variations

Historical recordings of the name Lachlan include many spelling variations. They include They are the result of repeated translations of the name from Gaelic to English and inconsistencies in spelling rules. MacLachlan, Lachlan, MacLachlane, McGlothan, McGlothin, MacLauchlan, MacLauchlane, MacLauchlin, MacLaughlin, Lauchlan and many more.

Early Notables of the Lachlan family (pre 1700)

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

Migration of the Lachlan family to Ireland

Some of the Lachlan family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lachlan migration to the United States +

Descendents of Dalriadan-Scottish families still populate many communities across North America. They are particularly common in Canada, since many went north as United Empire Loyalists at the time of the American War of Independence. Much later, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the highland games and Clan societies that now dot North America sprang up, allowing many Scots to recover their lost national heritage. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Lachlan, or a variant listed above:

Lachlan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Lachlan, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1847

Contemporary Notables of the name Lachlan (post 1700) +

Robert Lachlan Macalister (1890-1967), New Zealand politician, Mayor of Wellington from 1950 to 1956
Sir Thomas Lachlan MacDonald KCMG (1898-1980), New Zealand politician of the National Party
Lachlan Coote (b. 1990), Australian professional rugby league footballer
Lachlan McGillivray (1718-1799), Scottish fur trader and planter in colonial Georgia, father of Alexander McGillivray
Lachlan Mackinnon (b. 1956), Scottish poet, critic and literary journalist
Lachlan Keeffe (b. 1990), Australian rules footballer from Queensland
Lachlan Anthony Elmer (b. 1969), former Australian Field Hockey player
Lachlan George Dreher (b. 1967), former field hockey goalkeeper from Australia
Major-General Lachlan Macquarie CB (1762-1824), British military officer and colonial administrator, served as Governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1810 to 1821, eponym of numerous places throughout Australia
Lachlan McIntosh, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from South Carolina, 1996, 2004 [2]

The Lachlan 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: Fortis et fidus
Motto Translation: Brave and trusty.

Citations +

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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html