Show ContentsLaffen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Laffen

What does the name Laffen mean?

The Laffen surname comes from a Middle English given name Lefwine, which in turn comes from the Old English elements "leof," which meant "dear" or "beloved," and "wine," which meant "friend."

Early Origins of the Laffen family

The surname Laffen was first found in Shropshire where the family was anciently seated.

Early History of the Laffen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Laffen research. Another 202 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1010, 1086, 1275, 1292, 1327, 1576, 1602, 1659, 1661, 1712 and 1820 are included under the topic Early Laffen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Laffen Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Lewin, Lewins, Lewens, Lewinson and others.

Early Notables of the Laffen family

Justinian Lewyn (Lewen) knighted May 12, 1661; and John Lowin (1576-1659), an English actor, became associated with the theatrical world by 1602. Born in the St Giles-without-Cripplegate, London, he was apprenticed to...
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Laffen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Laffen migration to Australia +

Laffen Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Catherine Laffen, (b. 1808), aged 22, Irish dairy maid who was convicted in Kilkenny, Ireland for 7 years for house robbery, transported aboard the "Forth II" on 3rd June 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Laffen (post 1700) +

  • Lonnie Laffen (1958-2020), American politician and architect, Member of the North Dakota Senate (2010-2018)


  1. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au


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