Mahaffy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

A people of the Scottish/English Borderlands known as the Strathclyde Britons were the first to use the name Mahaffy. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name Debshithe, which means the black man of peace.

Early Origins of the Mahaffy family

The surname Mahaffy was first found in Wigtown (Gaelic: Siorrachd Bhaile na h-Uige), formerly a county in southwestern Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Dumfries and Galloway, where they held a family seat from very early times. This distinguished Clan was originally known as the Clan MacKilhaffy and held a family seat at Craig Caffe in the parish of Inch.

Early History of the Mahaffy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mahaffy research. Another 148 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1320 and 1540 are included under the topic Early Mahaffy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mahaffy Spelling Variations

Spelling and translation were hardly exact sciences in Medieval Scotland. Sound, rather than any set of rules, was the basis for spellings, so one name was often spelled different ways even within a single document. Spelling variations are thus an extremely common occurrence in Medieval Scottish names. Mahaffy has been spelled Mahaffy, Mehaffy, MacHaffie, Mahaffie, McHaffie, MacHaffy, McHaffy, MacGilhaffie, McGilhaffie, MacGilhaffy, McGilhaffy, MacKilhaffy, McKilhaffy, MacKilhaffie, McKilhaffie, MacIlhaffie, McIlhaffie, MacIlhaffy, McIlhaffy, MacCaffee, McCaffee, MacCaffie, McCaffie, McCaffy, MacCaffy, Milhaffie, Milhaffy, Mahalfie, Mahalfy and many more.

Early Notables of the Mahaffy family

More information is included under the topic Early Mahaffy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Mahaffy family to Ireland

Some of the Mahaffy family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mahaffy migration to the United States +

Such hard times forced many to leave their homeland in search of opportunity across the Atlantic. Many of these families settled along the east coast of North America in communities that would become the backbones of the young nations of the United States and Canada. The ancestors of many of these families have rediscovered their roots in the 20th century through the establishment of Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations. Among them:

Mahaffy Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Martin and Martha Mahaffy and their daughter Mary who settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1767

Mahaffy Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Mahaffy, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1811 1
Thomas Mahaffy, aged 23, who arrived in Delaware in 1812 1
Mary Mahaffy, who arrived in New York state in 1847
Mr. Mahaffy (McHaffy) settled in San Francisco, California in 1852

Mahaffy migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Mahaffy Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mary Mahaffy, aged 29, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Lord of the Isles" 2

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
South Australian Register Monday 14th August 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Lord of the Isles 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/jamesfernie1854.shtml