Llewellyn Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Llewellyn last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Llewellyn last name
Meaning of the Llewellyn last name: from the personal name Llywelyn. Llewellyn comes from the Welsh personal name Llywelyn, usually linked with the words for "leader" and "lion". Two great princes of Wales carried it, which made it a proud Welsh name. The surname is most at home in South Wales. A curious detail: English speakers struggled with the Welsh Ll, giving forms such as Flewelling and Fluellen, the Welsh captain in Shakespeare's "Henry V".
Arms associated with the Llewellyn name
In English heraldry, arms belonged to one person at a time and passed down to the eldest son, so different Llewellyn lines used their own versions.
Get your full Llewellyn family history
This is only a glimpse of the Llewellyn story. The full Llewellyn history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Llewellyn coat of arms. Get the full Llewellyn report.
Llewellyn name FAQ
What does the Llewellyn name mean?
From the personal name Llywelyn. Common variants include Llewelyn, Flewelling, Lewelling.
Where does the Llewellyn surname come from?
It originates in Wales, and is also found in England, the United States and Australia.
Is there a Llewellyn coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Llewellyn coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.