The Logan Family

The surname
LOGAN
is of Scottish and Irish origin.
In Scotland
(and sometimes Ireland)
it is derived from
the Scottish place-name Logan,
and in Ireland,
it is also an anglicisation
of Gaelic O’Leochain
‘descendent of Leochan’.
Once everyone was known
by a single name only
but this led to confusion
and so an extra name
was adopted.
Thus, a man named John
who hailed from Logan
might be known as
‘John (of) Logan’
and Brian who claimed descent
from one Leochain,
as Brian descendant of
Leochain-Brian O’Leochain’,
the additional name
eventually becoming heredity
as a surname.

Early records mention
Robert Logan in 1204;
Adam de Logan, in 1226;
John de Logan in 1307;
and John Logan, in 1328.

John Logan (1748-1788)
was a divine,
poet and lecturer on history in
Ediburgh University.
James Logan (1749-1872)
published a work on Celtic manners,
preserved among Highlanders.

Among early emigrants
to America was
James Logan (1674-1757)
who accompanied
William Penn to Pennsylvania
in 1699.
He held many improtant posts
in that colony-secretary,
chief-justice and govenor.
James brought
the Logan Family crest
from Scotland to
the colonies with him
as well.

The arms illustrated
are described heraldically as:
Or three passion nails
in point piercing a man’s heart gules;

Crest:
Passion nail piercing
a man’s heart proper;
and for Motto:

‘Hoc Majorum Virtus’

Writers in the past
have attributed symbolism to
the tinctures and charges
of heraldry-thus,
or (gold) is said to denote
Generosity;
gules (red) Magnanimity;
whilst ‘proper’ indicates natural colour.