Lynan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The distinguished surname Lynan emerged among the industrious people of Flanders, which was an important trading partner and political ally of Britain during the Middle Ages. As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Flemish surnames of this type frequently are prefixed by de la or de le, which mean of the or from the. The Lynan family originally lived in the parish of Lingen in the county of Herefordshire. The surname Lynan belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Lynan family

The surname Lynan was first found in Herefordshire where the village of Lingen still exists today. The village is listed in the Domesday Book as holding 2 manors, land for 7 ploughs, half a league of woodland and at that time was held by Ralph de Mortimer. 1 Limebrook Priory is located south of the village was founded before the time of Richard I by either Ralph de Lingen or Ralph de Mortimer and may be one of the two aforementioned manors. "The first recorded ancestor of this loyal family is Ralph de Wigmore, lord of Lingen, founder of the Priory of Lyngbroke. His son and grandson John took the name of Lingen." 2

Further to the north in Scotland where the name claims its origin from "the lands of Lingoch, now Lingo, in the parish of Carnbee, Fife." 3 In this case, the first record of the name was Vlfus de Lingoch. who witnessed a charter by Eggou Ruffus to the Priory of May early in the thirteenth century.

Early History of the Lynan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lynan research. Another 107 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1466, 1500, 1506, 1510, 1514, 1554, 1560, 1612, 1638 and 1662 are included under the topic Early Lynan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lynan Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Lingen, Lingane, Lingham, Lyngbroke and others.

Early Notables of the Lynan family

Prominent in the family at this time was John Lingein, High Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1466; Sir John Lingen of Lingen (d. 1506); Sir Henry Lingen (1612-1662), Lord of Sutton, Lingen and Stoke...
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lynan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lynan migration to the United States +

In the immigration and passenger lists a number of early immigrants bearing the name Lynan were found:

Lynan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mary Lynan, aged 22, who arrived in New York in 1854 4
Ann Lynan, aged 17, who landed in New York, NY in 1855 4

Lynan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lynan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mrs. Elizabeth Lynan, aged 50 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Naparina" departing 17th June 1847 from Dublin, Ireland; the ship arrived on 23rd August 1847 but she died on board 5

Lynan migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Lynan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James Lynan, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Blairgowrie" in 1875

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, 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)
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)
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 84)