Show ContentsPyron History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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Pyron Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Pyron

What does the name Pyron mean?

The distinguished surname Pyron is thought to be derived from "Pyrton," the name of an ancient village located near Watlington in Oxfordshire which is itself derived from the Old English "pere-tun," meaning "pear-tree farm." 1

While the aforementioned is the generally accepted point of origin for the family, the name could have been derived from "Saint Piran or Piranus (fl. 550), commonly identified with Saint Ciaran (fl. 500-560) of Saigir. The names Piran and Ciaran or Kieran are identical-p in Britain being the equivalent of the Irish k. The history of the two saints is in the main features the same, though the Irish lives of St. Ciaran do not record his migration to Cornwall. Piran holds a foremost place in Cornish hagiology; he was the patron saint of all Cornwall, or at least of miners; and his banner, a white cross on a black ground, is alleged to have been anciently the standard of Cornwall. According to Cornish legend it was Piran who discovered tin, and hence he was the patron saint of tinners. Three parishes in the county are dedicated to him, Perranzabuloe or Perran in the Sands, which is called Lampiran in Domesday, Perranuthnoe or Perran the Little near Marazion, and Perranarworthal on Falmouth Harbour; as well as chapels in other parishes such as Tintagel." 2

Early Origins of the Pyron family

The surname Pyron was first found in Oxfordshire, where the Pyron family held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. Hence, conjecturally, the Pyron family is descended from the tenant of the parish of Pyrton.

Early History of the Pyron family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pyron research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1166 and 1200 are included under the topic Early Pyron History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pyron Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Pyrton, Pyrtone, Pirtom, Pirtone, Pyrten, Pirten, Pirion, Pirren, Pyron and many more.

Early Notables of the Pyron family

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

Pyron Ranking

the United States, the name Pyron is the 14,787th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Pyron family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: William Pyrton, who immigrated to Jamaica in 1740.

Contemporary Notables of the name Pyron (post 1700) +

  • Brigadier-General Walter Braxton Pyron (1882-1951), American Head of the Army-Navy Oil Board (1942-1945) 4
  • Charles Lynn Pyron (1819-1869), American soldier in the U.S. Army in the Mexican-American War and a Confederate Army officer in the American Civil War
USS Indianapolis
  • Freddie Harold Pyron, American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 5
  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2014, March 26) Walter Pyron. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Pyron/Walter_Braxton/USA.html
  5. Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew

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