Morken History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe Morken name is Celtic in origin, arising from the ancient Britons of Wales. It comes from the Old Welsh personal name Morcant, composed of the Welsh elements "mor," meaning "sea," and cant meaning "circle." Early Origins of the Morken familyThe surname Morken was first found in Caernarvonshire (Welsh: Sir Gaernarfon), a former county in Northwest Wales, anciently part of the Kingdom of Gwynedd, and today divided between the unitary authorities of Gwynedd and Conwy. The surname is derived from the "Welsh personal name of high antiquity. The founder of the Pelagain heresy, in the fourth century, was a true Welshman and a monk of Bangor. His name was Morgan, which signifies 'Of the Sea' and this was correctly Latinized Pelagius. The Morgans of Golden Grove, co. Flint, descend from Marchudd ap Cynan, founder of the eighth noble tribe of North Wales and Powys. " 1 Early History of the Morken familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Morken research. Another 160 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1560, 1589, 1600, 1604, 1608, 1624, 1625, 1635, 1641, 1653, 1654, 1664, 1673, 1679, 1680, 1682, 1688, 1689, 1690, 1697, 1698, 1700, 1705, 1715, 1724, 1749, 1751, 1753, 1760, 1761, 1770, 1774, 1790 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Morken History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Morken Spelling VariationsAlthough there are not an extremely large number Welsh surnames, there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations of those surnames. This variety of spellings began almost immediately after the acceptance of surnames within Welsh society. As time progressed, these old Brythonic names were eventually were recorded in English. This process was problematic in that many of the highly inflected sounds of the native language of Wales could not be properly captured in English. Some families, however, did decide to modify their own names to indicate a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even a patriotic affiliation. The name Morken has seen various spelling variations: Morgan, Morgen, Morgain, Morgaine and others. Early Notables of the Morken familyProminent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Admiral Sir Henry Morgan (ca. 1635-1688), Welsh pirate who raided Spanish ships and settlements in the Caribbean, and became acting Governor of Jamaica (1680-1682); William Morgan (1560-1653), a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons of England in 1624 and 1625, supporter of the Royalist cause in the English Civil War; Thomas Morgan (c.1589-1664), a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1654; Major-General Sir Thomas Morgan, 1st Baronet... Migration of the Morken family to IrelandSome of the Morken family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
The Welsh migration to North America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries contributed greatly to its rapid development. These migrants were in search of land, work, and freedom. Those Welsh families that survived the long ocean journey were critical to the development of new industries and factories, and to the quick settlement of land. They also added to an ever-growing rich cultural heritage. A search of the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Morken: Morken Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
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