McGhay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

The Strathclyde Briton clans of the Scottish/English Borderlands were the first to use the name McGhay. It is derived from the Gaelic name Aodh, meaning Hugh, and the word mac, meaning son of. 1

Early Origins of the McGhay family

The surname McGhay was first found in Dumfriesshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Dhùn Phris), a Southern area, bordering on England that today forms part of the Dumfries and Galloway Council Area.

The first on record was Gilmighel Mac Ethe of Dumfries who rendered homage to King Edward I in 1296. "In the following year, as Gille Michel MacGethe, he was thanked by Edward I for putting down evildoers and for other services. Neel McEthe, Gillecryst McEthe, Hoen McEthe, Cuthbert his brother, and all of the lineage of Clenafren, made submission to Edward I in 1298. Michael Macgethe was juror on an inquisition in Annandale, 1304." 2

Early History of the McGhay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McGhay research. Another 311 words (22 lines of text) covering the years 1331, 1339, 1424, 1426, 1444, 1463, 1471, 1473, 1480, 1500, 1506, 1527, 1570, 1574, 1595, 1611, 1673, 1682 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McGhay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McGhay Spelling Variations

The variation in the spelling of Medieval names is a result of the lack of spelling rules in the English language prior to the last few hundred years. Before that time, scribes spelled according to sound, often varying the spelling of name within a single document. McGhay has appeared as MacGee, MacGhie, MacGhee, Magee and others.

Early Notables of the McGhay family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Gilbert M'Ghie, 1st Lord of Balmage (d. 1426); Gilbert M'Gy, 2nd Lord of Balmage (1426-1471); William M'Gye of Balmage and...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McGhay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McGhay family to Ireland

Some of the McGhay family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 82 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McGhay migration to the United States +

As the persecution of Clan families continued, they sailed for North America in increasing numbers. In most cases, they found the freedom and opportunity they sought. Land was often available and the American War of Independence allowed Scots an opportunity to solidify their independence from the English crown. These settlers and their ancestors went on to play essential roles in the forging of the nations of the United States and Canada. Among them:

McGhay Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James McGhay, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1827 3

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
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)
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)