Gaddy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Gaddy is an ancient Scottish name that was first used by the Strathclyde-Briton people of the Scottish/English Borderlands. It is a name for someone who lived in Edinburghshire, where the family was found since the early Middle Ages. Gaddy is an ancient Scottish name that evolved from the Goldie, which derives from the Old English personal name Gold.

Early Origins of the Gaddy family

The surname Gaddy was first found in Edinburghshire, where the name appears from about 1598 onwards and later in the forms Gowdie, Gaudie, Goddie. "Robert Gowdie was a writer in Edinburgh, 1643 and John Gawdie was one of 'those who ere matriculat in the Companie of Merchands of Edinbergh,' 1687. William Goudie in Ayr, 1689. The surname was early carried to the north appearing in Shetland first in 1576 in the person of Gawane Gadie of Lougasettar, Dunrossness." 1

Early History of the Gaddy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gaddy research. Another 126 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1567, 1576, 1643, 1689, 1783 and 1847 are included under the topic Early Gaddy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gaddy Spelling Variations

Prior to the first dictionaries, scribes spelled words according to sound. This, and the fact that Scottish names were repeatedly translated from Gaelic to English and back, contributed to the enormous number of spelling variations in Scottish names. Gaddy has been spelled Goudie, Gouday, Goudey, Goudy, Gowdy, Gowdie, Gadie, Goodie, Gady and many more.

Early Notables of the Gaddy family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gaddy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gaddy Ranking

In the United States, the name Gaddy is the 3,468^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Gaddy family to Ireland

Some of the Gaddy family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gaddy migration to Canada +

In such difficult times, the difficulties of raising the money to cross the Atlantic to North America did not seem so large compared to the problems of keeping a family together in Scotland. It was a journey well worth the cost, since it was rewarded with land and freedom the Scots could not find at home. The American War of Independence solidified that freedom, and many of those settlers went on to play important parts in the forging of a great nation. Among them:

Gaddy Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

James Gaddy, who settled in Canada in 1791

Contemporary Notables of the name Gaddy (post 1700) +

Beatrice "Bea" Gaddy (1933-2001), American city council member and advocate for the poor and homeless in Baltimore, inducted into the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame in 2006
Clifford G. Gaddy, American economist specializing in Russian studies
Charlie Gaddy (b. 1931), American television anchorman
John Wilson Gaddy (1914-1966), American former Major League Baseball player, nicknamed "Sheriff", he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1938 season
Bob Gaddy (1924-1997), American blues and rhythm and blues pianist, singer and songwriter
Joseph Gaddy DeBerry (1896-1944), American Major League Baseball pitcher

The Gaddy Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Honestas
Motto Translation: Honesty.

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/