I. The Trahan name before the 1600’s:

1. There were two separate noble Trahan family branches listed in the "Le Grand Armorial de France", by Charles d’Hozier, (1738): One in Tours (Armorial de la Touraine) (17^th Century); One in Rouen (date unknown) (King Traherne Carodoc).

2. Names and Places: Forest Trahant, Trans (Trahans) in Mayenne, Les Trahannieres (hamlets and estates) almost all located in the old Provinces of Maine and Mayenne, area of the Aulerc Tribes (Gaulois), particularly the Aulerc Cenomani tribe. (thus a geographic names source).

3. Internal Celtic Sources: (Vulgate Version Arthurian Leg., O. Sommers): The Chevalier Trahant, Knight of King Arthur’s Round Table, guardian of the Holy Grail, descended (Christian version) from Joseph of Arimethea (Christ’s tomb), or (pre-Christian version) cast in the role of Bran, keeper of the Cauldron of Plenty, (Fisher-sinner King), one of the gods, Mythology of the People of the goddess Danu (Tuatha De’ Danu) from which derives the prevalent notions of our origins from Denmark, or the Danube, or the Danai (pre-Hellenic Greeks) Jewish tribe of Dan, etc. But is should be kept in mind that these legends are of Brythonic origin (dark Brittons, perhaps Picts) were matrilineage is dominant (thru wife or mother). Dates back to Middle Ages, Dark Ages or more. A marvellous record to be studied, but not intent on giving origins, on which it is very vague.

4. External – Archeological Sources: Reference point 2. Above: Of Trahans (Trans) (in Mayenne) d’Arbois de Jubainville, a Celtic Scholor, says that the place name recurred as haptitual wherever the Cenomani tribe established itself: Trahant in Mayenne, France, Trente in north Italy, and Hubert adds Trans in Mainz, Germany. This smacks of a record on the order of Archeology with respect to our Trahan name.

5. Mythological Sources: Trente was settled by the Cenomanni in the 4^th Century B.C. as part of the Belgic Invasions of that period, and Taranis was a Belgae god of thunder and the wheel.

6. Giving the origins of "Trans", the brothers Grimm (Teutonic Mythology) indicated "tarani", in Sanskrit, as meaning "advancing with majesty" (describing the coming and passing of the thunderstorms) referring the reader to the Vedic Hymns of India, where Muller says one of the Aryan Thundergod, Indra’s titles was Indra Vritrahan, Indra, the Dragon Slayer (the dragon’s mother being Danu of the Danava people)…(1500 B.C. and earlier.)

7. The ancient Albanian (Thraco-Illyrian) "trahan" means oats, ground oats. Thracian means "people who pull things". Latin has "trahere", to pull, to plow. DuCange, "Glossary": "traha" is "traga" is charriot; "Traharius" is the wagon-train of baggage following the Roman Legions. Quadriga Vel Traga.

8. The Trahernes of England, whose origin is given as the Trahanes of Probus County Parish, Cornwall, is also equated to our name as well as to the Traiani Gens of Roman times (Trajan). (What might explain this is "Avranches" (Normandy) a town whose name and founding was by the Abrincatui, another Aulerc tribe, before they moved elsewhere…? (Note: the Transmigration of Souls doctrine of the pagan Celts does nothing for ethnic identity.)

II. The Trahan name after 1600’s:

Our first ancestor was Guillaume Trahan, from Bourgeul, France, who came to Port Royal, Acadia, in 1636. He married twice, from his second, he had 3 sons, 3 daughters. The first question generally asked is: Are you from Guillaume II, Jean Charles, or Alexander? Jean Charles settled in Grand Pre, the other two at Pigiguit. All Trahans either eventually filed or were deported from Acadia around 1755.

Reference: A Trahan History and Genealogy, Conrad W. Trahan, at the following libraries: Biblio. Maillet, Mt. St. Charles, Woonsocket, R.I., Worcester Antiquarian – N.E. History Genealogy Society, Boston, Jac. Ed. Mem. Lib., Southbridge, Mass., Springfield Public Library, State Street, Spring, Mass.; French Cultural Center, Assumption C. Harvard College, Lib. Serial Rec. Geneal Dept., Cambridge, Mass.; American French Geneal Society, Pawtucket, R.I.

Genealogical Research Reference: The Acadian Genealogical & Historical Association, Inc., P. O. Box 2631, Fitchburgh, Mass. 01420.

The original arms: Horseshoe & Crescent were of Jean Trahan of Larochelle, France. The Trahans of India give their origin as Roumania (Sr. Louise T., Sr. Ste Croix), "Trahana" in Dacian-Roumanian is a kind of yogurt.