Jaye Surname HistoryThe name Jaye arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Jaye family lived in Herefordshire. Their name, however, derives from the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, De Gai, Normandy. 1 Others sources claim the name is a nickname for ' the jay,' a chatterer, a smartly dressed person. 2 3 4 Early Origins of the Jaye familyThe surname Jaye was first found in Herefordshire at Heath, with Jay, a township, in the parish of Leintwardine, union of Ludlow, hundred of Wigmore. 5 This small township had only 55 inhabitants in the late 1800s and comprises the hamlets of Heath and Jay. 6 7 One of the first records of the family was Gilber Jai (Gai) who was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Lincolnshire in 1202. A few years later, Tandy de Jay was listed in the Assize Rolls for Shropshire in 1221 and Walter le Jay was found in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1225. 8 In Somerset, William le Jay was listed there 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 9 "Brian de Jay was the last Master of the English Knights Templars. He was the only Englishman of note slain at the battle of Falkirk in 1298 and his fellow Master of the Order in Scotland, fighting along with Jay, was also killed." 10 Early History of the Jaye familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jaye research. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1495, 1511, 1529, 1530, 1534, 1553, 1630, 1697, 1699, 1722, 1734 and 1790 are included under the topic Early Jaye History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Jaye Spelling VariationsA multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Jay, Jaye, Jayes and others. Early Notables of the Jaye familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was
Migration of the Jaye familyMany English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Jaye or a variant listed above: Thomas Jay settled in Virginia in 1635; William Jay settled in Barbados in 1663; Thomas Jay settled in Barbados in 1654.
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