Show ContentsTreherne History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Treherne

What does the name Treherne mean?

The Treherne surname comes from the ancient Welsh personal name Trahern. Some instances of the surname are derived from the name of the settlement of Trehane in Cornwall.

Early Origins of the Treherne family

The surname Treherne was first found in Flintshire (Welsh: Sir y Fflint), a historic county, created after the defeat of the Welsh Kingdom of Gwynedd in 1284, and located in north-east Wales, where they held a family seat at Trehaverne (Tregavran) which was referenced in the Domesday Book.

This area is now known as Kenywn and is a civil parish in Cornwall. Kenwyn is now regarded as a suburb of the city of Truro and gives its name to one of three rivers that flow through the city. However, the surname is believed to be descended from Traherne (Trahaearn ap Caradog) son of Caradoc, Prince of North Wales in 1073. 1

Today Trehan is a hamlet near Saltash in Cornwall, England.

Early History of the Treherne family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Treherne research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1510, 1558, 1603, 1635, 1636, 1644, 1674 and 1686 are included under the topic Early Treherne History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Treherne Spelling Variations

There are relatively few surnames native to Wales, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. Early variations of Welsh surnames can be explained by the fact that very few people in the early Middle Ages were literate. Priests and the few other literate people were responsible for recording names in official documents. And because most people could not specific how to properly record their names it was up to the individual recorder of that time to determine how a spoken name should be recorded. Variations due to the imprecise or improper recording of a name continued later in history when names originally composed in the Brythonic Celtic, language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, were transliterated into English. Welsh names that were documented in English often changed dramatically since the native language of Wales, which was highly inflected, did not copy well. Occasionally, however, spelling variations were carried out according to an individual's specific design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by minor variations. The spelling variations of the name Treherne have included Traherne, Trahern, Treherne, Trehern, Traherne, Trahairn, Trahearne, Trahane, Trahan, Trehearn, Trahearn, Trehane and many more.

Early Notables of the Treherne family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Bartholomew Traheron (1510?-1558?), Protestant writer, born about 1510, descended from an ancient Cornish family, and is said to have been a native of...
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Treherne Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Treherne family

Many Welsh families joined their Scottish and Irish neighbors during the late 1800s and early 1900s in seeking refuge in North America. Like the Irish and Scottish, many Welsh anxiously awaited the work, freedom, and opportunities that they believed lay in North America. Those who did journey over to the United States and what became known as Canada often realized those dreams, but only through much toil and perseverance. Whenever and however these Welsh immigrants arrived in North America, they were instrumental in the creation of the industry, commerce, and cultural heritage within those two developing nations. In the immigration and passenger lists a number of early immigrants bearing the name Treherne were found: Samuel Traherne who settled in Jamaica in 1664; Charles and Margueritte Trahan settled in Maryland in 1763; John Trehearne settled in Virginia in 1622.


Empress of Ireland
  • Mr. Allan Edwin Treherne (1880-1914), Canadian Third Class Passenger from Stratford, Ontario, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 2


  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  2. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html


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