Lennyck History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

The ancestors of the Lennyck family were part of an ancient Scottish tribe called the Picts. They lived in the district of Lennox, in the county of Dunbarton.

Early Origins of the Lennyck family

The surname Lennyck was first found in Lennoxtown, a village, in the parish of Campsie, county of Stirling. "This is a considerable place, situated in the centre of the parish, and deriving its name from the family of Lennox, of Woodhead, on whose property it is built." 1

Of this origin, there can be no doubt, but we include another for the record: "The original name was Leven-ach, the field on the Leven, from the river Leven, which flows through the county. Leven-achs, for a while spelt and written Levenax, and finally Lennox. Arkil, a Saxon, a Baron of Northumbria, who took refuge from the vengeance of the Norman William under the protection of Malcom Canmore, appears to have been the founder of the Lennox family." 2

Another source claims the family was derived from "Egrith, a Saxon noble, who died in 1064, was the ancestor of Alwin Mac Arkyll, who was created Earl of Lennox, temp. Malcolm IV, and was the founder of the family of Lennox." 3

This stronghold of Lennoxtown is still held by many of the family: "Among the most striking objects around Lennoxtown, is the elegant and newly-built mansion of Lennox Castle, the residence of J. L. Kincaid Lennox, Esq., the superior of the village; this splendid edifice was commenced in 1837, and completed in 1841, and is in the boldest style of the old Norman architecture. The principal entrance is by a handsome portcochere on the north front; and from the lofty towers, which overtop the aged trees that formerly adorned the ancient mansion-house of Woodhead, is a prospect of considerable extent and beauty." 1

Some of the first records of the name include: "John of Levenax, the duke of Albany's man, had a safe conduct into England, 1400, and John de Lenox witnessed sale of a tenement in Glasgow, 1428. William Levinax, younger, of Caly, was accused of forethought felony and oppression in Kirkcudbright, 1508, and Donald Levenax, a follower of the earl of Casillis, was respited for murder in 1526 " 4

Early History of the Lennyck family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lennyck research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1500 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Lennyck History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lennyck Spelling Variations

Prior to the invention of the printing press in the last hundred years, documents were basically unique. Names were written according to sound, and often appeared differently each time they were recorded. Spelling variations of the name Lennyck include Lennox, Lenox, Levenax and others.

Early Notables of the Lennyck family

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

Migration of the Lennyck family to Ireland

Some of the Lennyck family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Lennyck family

The freedom of the North American colonies was enticing, and many Scots left to make the great crossing. It was a long and hard journey, but its reward was a place where there was more land than people and tolerance was far easier to come by. Many of these people came together to fight for a new nation in the American War of Independence, while others remained loyal to the old order as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of Scots in North America have recovered much of this heritage in the 20th century through Clan societies and other such organizations. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important and early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Lennyck: Alexander, Andrew, Charles, David, John, Patrick, Robert, Thomas and William Lennox all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Sims, Clifford Stanley The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames. 1862. Print.
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)