(Celtic) Dweller at the Church-Town [Cornish and Welsh tre, a homestead, village, town + Cornish Ian = Welsh llan (O.Wel. lann), a church: the -y in Trelawny represents the Cornish diminutive suff.] Trelawny, par. Alternon, Cornwall, formerly Trelany, Trelone, is the Domesday Treloen. The corresponding Welsh place- name is Trellan; Welsh has also the formation llandref ‘church-village’ (-dref mutation of tref, 'village'.)

Local. (Cornish British) The open town near the water; from Tre, a town, lawn, open, and ey, water.

The origin of Cornish families is a matter of difficulty, from the deficiency of records. However, in 1325 William de Trelouny was M.P. for Launceston (Parliamentary Writs). In the preceding century Reginald Walensis and Henry de Tredraet held three fees in Tredameton, Tredraet, and Trelowyn (Trelawney) from the Earl of Cornwall (see Testa, p. 201). The name of Trelawney was not then borne. We find the name of Wallensis before this in Cornwall. Richard W. occurs there 1202 (Rotulus Cancellarii). On examining the fiefs of the Earl of Cornwall in 1165 only two cases of persons occur holding three fiefs each, viz. Henry de Pomeraye, and Hoel and Jordan joint tenants (Liber Niger). It will be observed that the three fees were held from the Earl of Cornwall in the 13th cent. by joint tenants also. The name Hoel indicates a Welsh origin, which also connects it with the name ‘Wallensis.’ It is presumed that this family descends from Hamelin de Balaon, son of Dru de Balaon, Baron of Abergavenny, who had vast grants in Cornwall. He had a brother Wynebald (Mon. Angl. i. 590), who appears to have obtained either from his brother or the earl the three fees of Trehampton, Tredrea, and Trelawney, and coming from Wales would be styled 'Wallensis.’ His sons would be—Roger de Trehampton (seated in Lincoln), Hoel of Trelawney, and Jordan of Tredrea. In t. Richard I. Richard Wallensis (probably son of Hoel) paid scutage for two fees in Cornwall (Trehampton and Trelawney?), and Ralph de Treat or Tredraet for one (Carew, Survey, 45). The Castle of Balaon, Normandy, was garrisoned by William Rufus 1088 (Ord. Vitalis). (See Dugdale and Banks.) The Hamelin who held Treloan 1086 is, according to Lysons (Cornwall), of unknown origin.