Show ContentsLafin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Lafin

What does the name Lafin mean?

The surname Lafin is derived from a child. The surname Lafin is derived from the French "l'enfant," or perhaps from La Font or La Fin, which are both found in French records.

Early Origins of the Lafin family

The surname Lafin was first found in counties Tipperary and Wexford (Irish: Loch Garman), founded by Vikings as Waesfjord, and located in Southeastern Ireland, in the province of Leinster, where they were granted lands by Strongbow after the invasion of Ireland in 1172.

Early History of the Lafin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lafin research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1200 is included under the topic Early Lafin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lafin Spelling Variations

During the Middle Ages, a single person often had their name recorded by church officials and scribes many different ways. Names were typically spelt as they sounded, which resulted in many different spelling variations. The many versions of the name Lafin to have been recorded over the years include: Laffan, Laffin, La Font, Laffhan and others.

Early Notables of the Lafin family

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


Lafin migration to the United States +

In the 1840s, Ireland experienced a mass exodus to North America due to the Great Potato Famine. These families wanted to escape from hunger and disease that was ravaging their homeland. With the promise of work, freedom and land overseas, the Irish looked upon British North America and the United States as a means of hope and prosperity. Those that survived the journey were able to achieve this through much hard work and perseverance. Early immigration and passenger lists revealed many bearing the name Lafin:

Lafin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Ernst Lafin, who arrived in Galveston, Tex in 1850 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Lafin (post 1700) +

  • Andrew Lafin, American politician, Labor organizer; Delegate to Socialist National Convention from Illinois, 1920; Candidate for U.S. Representative from Illinois at-large, 1922 2


The Lafin 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: Vincit omnia veritas
Motto Translation: Truth conquers all things.


  1. 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)
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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