Orion History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the Orion family brought their name to England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Norfolk. Their name, however, derives from their place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Airaines, in Somme, France.1

Early Origins of the Orion family

The surname Orion was first found in Norfolk where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in A.D. 1066.

Early History of the Orion family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Orion research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1548, 1576, 1578 and 1617 are included under the topic Early Orion History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Orion Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Orion were recorded, including Irons, Kenirons, Hirons, Iron, Hieron and others.

Early Notables of the Orion family

Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Orion Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Orion family to Ireland

Some of the Orion family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Orion migration to Canada +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Orion arrived in North America very early:

Orion Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mr. Honors Orion, aged 6 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Albion" departing 13th August 1847 from Cork, Ireland; the ship arrived on 29th September 1847 but he died on board 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Orion (post 1700) +

Edwin Orion Brownell (b. 1964), Canadian musician and neo-classical composer and concert pianist
Orion Clemens (1825-1897), the American first and only Secretary of Nevada Territory
Orion H. Reeves, American Republican politician, Mayor of Easton, Pennsylvania, 1956 3
Orion F. Camplin, American politician, Socialist Labor Candidate for Presidential Elector for Pennsylvania, 1956; Socialist Labor Candidate for Presidential Elector for New Jersey, 1972 4
Orion P. Barron, American politician, Candidate for Mayor of Monroe, Michigan, 1937, 1939 5
Orion Pierce Goodwin, American politician, Member of South Carolina State Senate from Laurens County, 1925-32 6

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
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. 66)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html