This unusual and interesting surname can be either English or Irish. Recorded in a wide variety of spellings including Trainer, Trainor, Trener, Traynor, Trinor, Tronor, Trynor, Triner and Trinner, it has at least two possible originations. The first is from the pre 7th century Olde English 'trayne' meaning to trap or snare, and hence a name for a hunter. Secondly if originating in Ireland, it may have the same origination from English settlers, or it may derive from the pre 10th century Gaelic Mac Threinfhir, meaning " the son of the champion". This name derives from the words "trean", meaning strong, and "fhear", a man. Traditionally Irish family names are taken from the heads of tribes, or from some illustrious warrior, as in this case, and were usually prefixed either by O' meaning "descendant of", or "Mac", meaning "son of", and sometimes both prefixes are used, although not at the sametime! This surname is also recorded as MacCrainor and MacCreanor, but the usual spelling form is Traynor. Early examples of recording include in England Robert Treiner of County Durham in the year 1243, and Ann Traner, who married John Binckes at St Boltolphs, Bishopgate, in the old city of London, on July 8th 1604. In Ireland Ralph Traynor, the son of John and Elizabeth Traynor, was christened at the church of St Peter and St Kevin, Dublin, on March 16th 1701, whilst James Traynor, a farmer, aged 26 years, was a famine emigrant to America on May 15th 1846. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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