Lafan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of Lafan

What does the name Lafan mean?

The surname Lafan is derived from a child. The surname Lafan is derived from the French "l'enfant," or perhaps from La Font or La Fin, which are both found in French records.

Early Origins of the Lafan family

The surname Lafan was first found in counties Tipperary and Wexford (Irish: Loch Garman), founded by Vikings as Waesfjord, and located in Southeastern Ireland, in the province of Leinster, where they were granted lands by Strongbow after the invasion of Ireland in 1172.

Early History of the Lafan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lafan research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1200 is included under the topic Early Lafan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lafan Spelling Variations

Medieval scribes and church officials spelled the names as they sounded, so a name was often spelled many different ways during the lifetime of a single person. The investigation of the origin of the name Lafan revealed many spelling variations including Laffan, Laffin, La Font, Laffhan and others.

Early Notables of the Lafan family

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

Migration of the Lafan family

During the middle of the 19th century, Irish families often experienced extreme poverty and racial discrimination in their own homeland under English rule. Record numbers died of disease and starvation and many others, deciding against such a fate, boarded ships bound for North America. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Unfortunately, many of those Irish that arrived in Canada or the United States still experienced economic and racial discrimination. Although often maligned, these Irish people were essential to the rapid development of these countries because they provided the cheap labor required for the many canals, roads, railways, and other projects required for strong national infrastructures. Eventually the Irish went on to make contributions in the less backbreaking and more intellectual arenas of commerce, education, and the arts. Research early immigration and passenger lists revealed many early immigrants bearing the name Lafan: John Laffan, whose marriage was recorded in Nova Scotia in 1815; Patrick Laffin, who was recorded in Boston in 1818; Edward Laffin, along with his sister Mary and brother Peter, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1805.

The Lafan 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: Vincit omnia veritas
Motto Translation: Truth conquers all things.