| ![Show Contents]() Linch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of LinchWhat does the name Linch mean? The Anglo-Norman Conquest of Ireland lead by Strongbow introduced the first non-Gaelic elements into Irish nomenclature. These Anglo-Normans brought some traditions to Ireland that were not readily found within Gaelic system of hereditary surnames. One of the best examples of this is the local surname. Local surnames, such as Linch, were taken from the name of a place or a geographical feature where the person lived, held land, or was born. These surnames were very common in England, but were almost non-existent within Ireland previous to the conquest. The earliest surnames of this type came from Normandy, but as the Normans moved, they often created names in reference to where they actually resided. Therefore, some settlers eventually took names from Irish places. Originally, these place names were prefixed by de, which means from in French. This type of prefix was eventually either made a part of the surname, if the place name began with a vowel, or was eliminated entirely. The Linch family originally lived in some location which is no longer known. The original form of the Norman surname Linch was de Lench. However, there is also a native Irish family named Linch. This surname, which was originally Ó Loingsigh, is derived from the Gaelic word loingseach, which means mariner. Early Origins of the Linch familyThe surname Linch was first found in County Galway (Irish: Gaillimh) part of the province of Connacht, located on the west coast of the Island, where they were granted lands by Strongbow after the English Norman invasion of Ireland in 1172. Early History of the Linch familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Linch research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1320, 1488, 1489, 1490, 1507, 1611, 1623, 1669, 1676, 1682, 1684, 1691 and 1713 are included under the topic Early Linch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Linch Spelling VariationsDuring an investigation of the origin of each name, it was found that church officials and medieval scribes spelled many surnames as they sounded. Therefore, during the lifetime of a single person, a name could be spelt numerous ways. Some of the spelling variations for the name Linch include Lynch, Linch, O'Lynch and others. Early Notables of the Linch familyNotable amongst the family up to this time was Geoffrey (Geffere) Lynch (fl. 1488-1489), 4th Mayor of Galway; John Lynch fitz John, fifth Mayor of Galway (1489-1490); Robuck Lynch, sixth Mayor of Galway (1489-1490); Arthur Lynch (Mayor), 22nd Mayor of Galway, (died 1507), a member of one of The...
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Linch Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Linch RankingIn the United States, the name Linch is the 16,102nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1
| Linch migration to the United States | + |
A great number of Irish families left their homeland in the late 18th century and throughout the 19th century, migrating to such far away lands as Australia and North America. The early settlers left after much planning and deliberation. They were generally well off but they desired a tract of land that they could farm solely for themselves. The great mass of immigrants to arrive on North American shores in the 1840s differed greatly from their predecessors because many of them were utterly destitute, selling all they had to gain a passage on a ship or having their way paid by a philanthropic society. These Irish people were trying to escape the aftermath of the Great Potato Famine: poverty, starvation, disease, and, for many, ultimately death. Those that arrived on North American shores were not warmly welcomed by the established population, but they were vital to the rapid development of the industry, agriculture, and infrastructure of the infant nations of the United States and what would become Canada. Early passenger and immigration lists reveal many Irish settlers bearing the name Linch:
Linch Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- James Linch, who landed in Maryland in 1641 2
- Jere Linch, who landed in Virginia in 1649 2
- Ichiell Linch, who landed in Virginia in 1650 2
- Ishiell Linch, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 2
- Vincent Linch, who landed in Maryland in 1666 2
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Linch Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Garrett Linch, who arrived in Virginia in 1705 2
- David Linch, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 2
- Thomas Linch, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1765 2
- Nathaniel Linch, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1766 2
- Edward Linch, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1768 2
Linch Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Valentin Linch, aged 25, who arrived in New York, NY in 1851 2
| Linch migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Linch Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century- John Linch, aged 35, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Billow" in 1833
- Biddy Linch, aged 24, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Billow" in 1833
- James Linch, aged 3, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Billow" in 1833
- Patrick Linch, aged 2, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Billow" in 1833
- Felix Linch, aged 24, a farmer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "William" in 1834
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Linch migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Linch Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Mr. John Linch, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Clyde" on 11th March 1863, arriving in Western Australia, Australia 3
| Contemporary Notables of the name Linch (post 1700) | + |
- Larry Linch, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from West Virginia, 1996, 2000 (alternate) 4
- Alonzo E. Linch, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Moundsville, West Virginia, 1897-1911, 1922-26 4
| Historic Events for the Linch family | + |
Lady of the Lake - Mr. John Linch, Irish traveller from Killybegs, Ireland who sailed aboard the "Lady of the Lake" from Greenock, Scotland on 8th April 1833 to Quebec, Canada when the ship hit ice and sunk of the coast of Newfoundland on the 11th May 1833 and he died in the sinking
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- 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)
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/clyde
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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