The name 'Lord Byron' means noble standing to the Byron family line. The Byron family line originated in the northern French region of Normandy. Descendants of the original line relocated to England. It was family member Sir John Byron who laid the groundwork for the subsequent title by his ownership of the Newstead lands and priory of Nottinghamshire, in 1540. His great-grandson John Byron became the 1st Baron Byron in 1643. He died childless, thereby passing the title of 2nd Baron Byron to his brother Richard Byron. The 3rd, 4th, and 5th Barons Byron were direct descendants of the 2nd. But William, 5th Baron Byron outlived both his son and his grandson. The title of 6th Baron Byron thereby passed to William's nephew, poet George Gordon [January 22, 1788-April 19, 1824]. The poet's father was a Byron. But the poet's mother insisted upon naming her son after her own grandfather, George Gordon. For her grandfather descended from Sir William Gordon of Gight, a grandson of King James I of Scotland [December 10, 1394-February 21, 1437].
