Trewren History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The notable Trewren family arose among the Cornish People, a race with a rich Celtic heritage and an indomitable fighting spirit who inhabited the southwest of England. While surnames were well-known during the English medieval period, Cornish People originally used only a single name. The way in which hereditary surnames came into common use is interesting. As the population of medieval Europe multiplied, people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. Under the Feudal System of government, surnames evolved and they often reflected life on the manor and in the field. Patronymic surnames were derived from given names and were the predominant type of surname among the Celtic peoples of Britain. However, the people of Cornwall provide a surprising exception to this rule, and patronymic surnames are less common among them than other people of Celtic stock, such as their Welsh neighbors. This is due to the greater influence of English bureaucracy and naming practices in Cornwall at the time that surnames first arose. This type of surname blended perfectly with the prevailing Feudal System. One feature that is occasionally found in Cornish surnames of this type is the suffix -oe or -ow; this is derived from the Cornish plural suffix -ow. is a patronymic surname that came from the ancient Cornish given name Urion or Urien, meaning town born. 1

Early Origins of the Trewren family

The surname Trewren was first found in Cornwall, where they held a family seat from very ancient times at Trewarevra, and were descended from Driff in Cornwall. The original name was Trewren and Uren is an abbreviation thereof.

Urien (Urien Rheged or Uriens) was a late 6th-century king of Rheged, an early British kingdom in northern England and southern Scotland. According to Arthurian legend, he became the "King Urien of Gorre" and his son Owain mab Urien was later known as Ywain. Known for his victories at the battle of Gwen Ystrad and Alt Clut Ford, the Brythonic poet Taliesin later celebrated his life in poems. 2

In Staffordshire, we found an early entry as a forename: Urian de St. Pierrs in the Assize Rolls of 1272. In Yorkshire, William Urine was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for 1301 and in Gloucestershire, Robert Vryen was listed in 1459. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: John filius Urian, Huntingdonshire; and Uryene (without surname), Cambridgeshire. 4

Early History of the Trewren family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Trewren research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1633, 1635, 1671, 1675, 1680, 1696, 1724, 1726 and 1731 are included under the topic Early Trewren History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Trewren Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Uren, Trewren, Hurin, Hurrion and others.

Early Notables of the Trewren family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Thomas Trewren of Sancreed, last of an ancient line who held the manor house at Monkton

Trewren migration to the United States +

A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Trewren:

Trewren Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Bessie Trewren, aged 25, who landed in America from Carn Brea, England, in 1910
William James Trewren, aged 22, who immigrated to America from Redruth, England, in 1911
Willian Trewren, aged 24, who landed in America, in 1917
William Trewren, aged 25, who landed in America, in 1918
Elizabeth Jane Trewren, aged 32, who immigrated to the United States from Cambourne, England, in 1920
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Trewren migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Trewren Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Trewren, a stone-cutter, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832

Citations +

Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)