Vaugham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales
Ireland

The surname Vaugham is derived from the Welsh words fychan, vychan, and bychan, which all mean small or little. The name was sometimes used to distinguish the younger of two bearers of the same personal name; and in other instances, it may have been a nickname, applied ironically, to a tall person.

Early Origins of the Vaugham family

The surname Vaugham was first found in Shropshire, where they were descended from Tudor Trevor, the Earl of Hereford, and Lord of Maylors. His wife was descended from Howel Dda, King of South Wales, in 907. Descended was Gronwy, Earl of Hereford, through a series of Lords of Maylors and Oswestry. They descended to John Vaughan, son of Rhys Ap Llewellyn, of Plas Thomas in Shrewsbury.

Howel Vychan (Howel the Little) (d. 825) was a Welsh prince, said to have been son of Rhodri, a reputed descendant of Cunedda and king of Gwynedd or North Wales. 1

Later, Vychan (Vaughan the Little) (fl 1230-1240), was a Welsh statesman and warrior who seems to have been the most trusted counsellor of Llewelyn ab Iorwerth. "In 1231, he signed a truce between Henry III and Llewelyn. In legendary history Ednyved is very famous, and stories are told how he slew three English chiefs in a hard fight. He became the ancestor of many leading Welsh families, and among them of the house of Tudor. He is said to have married, first, Gwenllian, daughter of the Lord Rhys of South Wales, and, secondly, the daughter of Llywerch ab Bran. By each of these ladies he had numerous offspring." 1

Early History of the Vaugham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Vaugham research. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1447, 1522, 1587, 1592, 1600, 1603, 1613, 1620, 1621, 1626, 1629, 1639, 1640, 1644, 1659, 1660, 1661, 1666, 1667, 1672, 1674, 1675, 1676, 1678, 1679, 1681, 1683, 1686, 1695, 1713 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Vaugham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Vaugham Spelling Variations

Compared to other ancient cultures found in the British Isles, the number of Welsh surnames are relatively few, but there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations. These spelling variations began almost as soon as surname usage became common. Clerks would then spell the names as they heard them, causing many different variations. Later, many Welsh names were recorded in English. This transliteration process was extremely imprecise since the Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh used many sounds the English language was not accustomed to. Finally, some variations occurred by the individual's design: a branch loyalty within a family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were indicated by spelling variations of one's name. The Vaugham name over the years has been spelled Vaughan, Vaughn and others.

Early Notables of the Vaugham family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Sir Griffith Vaughan or Vychan (d. 1447), Welsh soldier, was son of Griffith ap Leuan; Edward Vaughan (d. 1522), Welsh Bishop of St. David's; Sir Henry Vaughan the elder (1587?-1659), a Welsh politician, Member of Parliament for Carmarthen (1621-1629), Member of Parliament for Carmarthenshire (1640-1644), High Sheriff of Carmarthenshire (1620); Robert Powell Vaughan (ca. 1592-1667), an eminent Welsh antiquary and collector of manuscripts; Thomas Vaughan (1621-1666), a Welsh philosopher, best remembered for his writings in the area of natural magic; Sir John Vaughan SL (1603-1674), of Trawsgoed, a Welsh justice from...
Another 133 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Vaugham Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Vaugham family to Ireland

Some of the Vaugham family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Vaugham migration to the United States +

Many Welsh joined the great migrations to North America in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Like their Scottish and Irish neighbors, many Welsh families left their homeland hoping to find hope and prosperity in a land that the English did not exercise a tight rule over. Those Welsh immigrants that successfully traveled to North America went on to make significant contributions to the rapid development of both Canada and the United States in terms of the settling of land and the establishment of industry. They also added to the rich cultural heritage of both countries. An examination into the immigration and passenger lists has discovered a number of people bearing the name Vaugham:

Vaugham Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Vaugham, who arrived in Colorado in 1893 2

The Vaugham Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Non revertar inultus
Motto Translation: I will not return unrevenged.

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)