| ![Show Contents]() Lenox History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of LenoxWhat does the name Lenox mean? The ancient Pictish-Scottish family that first used the name Lenox lived in the district of Lennox, in the county of Dunbarton. Early Origins of the Lenox familyThe surname Lenox 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 Lenox familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lenox research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1500 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Lenox History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Lenox Spelling VariationsThe arts of spelling and translation were yet in their infancies when surnames began, so there are an enormous number of spelling variations of the names in early Scottish records. This is a particular problem with Scottish names because of the numerous times a name might have been loosely translated to English from Gaelic and back. Lenox has been spelled Lennox, Lenox, Levenax and others. Early Notables of the Lenox familyMore information is included under the topic Early Lenox Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Lenox RankingIn the United States, the name Lenox is the 12,017th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5 Migration of the Lenox family to IrelandSome of the Lenox 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.
| Lenox migration to the United States | + |
This oppression forced many Scots to leave their homelands. Most of these chose North America as their destination. Although the journey left many sick and poor, these immigrants were welcomed the hardy with great opportunity. Many of these settlers stood up for their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. More recently, Scots abroad have recovered much of their collective heritage through highland games and other patriotic functions and groups. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has located various settlers bearing the name Lenox:
Lenox Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- William Lenox, who arrived in Virginia in 1658 6
- Ma Lenox, who landed in Virginia in 1663 6
Lenox Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Ann Lenox, who arrived in New York in 1740 6
Lenox Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- John Lenox, who arrived in Norfolk, Va in 1817 6
- Andrew Lenox, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1836 6
- Morris Lenox, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1838 6
- William Lenox, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1839 6
| Contemporary Notables of the name Lenox (post 1700) | + |
- Darryl Lenox (1966-2023), American comedian from Las Vegas, Nevada who later lived in Vancouver where he founded the entertainment company Ellison Rains
- Adriane Lenox (b. 1956), American Tony award winning actress, best known for her performances in Broadway theatre
- Walter Lenox (1817-1874), American politician, Mayor of Washington, D.C (1850 to 1852)
- Adriane Lenox (b. 1956), American stage and film actress
- James Lenox (1800-1880), American bibliophile and philanthropist
- Jack Lenox Jr., American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Army Air Forces, during World War II, credited with 5 aerial victories
- Walter Lenox, American politician, Mayor of Washington, District of Columbia, 1850-52 7
- Tim Lenox, American Republican politician, Candidate for Connecticut State Senate 13th District, 2008 7
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: I'll defend
- 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)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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