Loughren

This is an anglicized form of the Olde Gaelic O Luchrain. The Gaelic prefix "O"indicates "male descendant of", plus the personal byname Luchrain, a diminutive of "luchair" meaning bright and resplendent. This great sept, originally belonging to County Armagh, produced several distinguished ecclesiastics including Thomas O' Loughran, Dean of Armagh, (deceased 1416). Three further priests of the name John O' Loughran, Patrick O' Loughran and Neilan Loughran, Order of Franciscan Monks, of Armagh, died as martyrs for the faith in 1576, 1612 and 1652 respectively. A separate branch of the family settled in County Tyrone about the year 1430, and the name remains prevalent there to the present day. On May 20th 1778 Charles, son of Hugh Loughran, was christened in Donaghmore, County Tyrone. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of O Luchairen of County Armagh, which was dated circa 1400, in the "The Annals of Ulster", during the reign of King Henry 1V, known as "Henry of Bolingbroke", 1399 - 1413. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.