Why History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Why is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Why family lived in Gloucestershire. The name, however, refers to the district of Guise in France, where the family was resident prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. 1 Aspley Guise is a village and civil parish located in central Bedfordshire.

"Guy of Warwick, hero of romance, is almost wholly a creature of fiction. Dugdale and other historians of Warwickshire literally accepted as historical the series of legends respecting him, to which literary shape seems to have been first given by an Anglo-Norman poet of the twelfth century." 2

Early Origins of the Why family

The surname Why was first found in Gloucestershire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Elmore in that shire, and were descended from Sir William Gyse who attended Duke William in his Conquest of England at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.

It is believed that Sir William first held the manor of Highnam from Gloucester Abbey but by the later marriage of Anselm Gyse to Magotta de Burgh (Burke,) daughter of the Earl of Kent, he acquired the Lordship of both Highnam and Elmore in Gloucestershire.

Some of the first records in various early rolls include: Robert de Guuis who was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Gloucestershire in 1207; and John de Gyse in the Pipe Rolls for Berskhire in 1230. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Anselm de Gyse in Huntingdonshire. John de Gyse was listed in Bedfordshire, 20 Edward I (during the twentieth year of King Edward I's reign) and the same source notes that William de Gyse was listed in Norfolk at that time. 1

Early History of the Why family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Why research. Another 127 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1450, 1617, 1621, 1624, 1629, 1631, 1632, 1644, 1653, 1654, 1670, 1678, 1683, 1695, 1701, 1705, 1710, 1724, 1731, 1732, 1765, 1769, 1773 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Why History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Why Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Why are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Why include Gyse, Guise, Guys, Guy, Gysse, Gyss, Gise, Gwyse and many more.

Early Notables of the Why family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Guy (died 1629?), an English merchant adventurer from Bristol, colonist and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1621 to 1624, the first Proprietary Governor of Newfoundland who led the first attempt to establish a colony on the islandThomas Guy (1644-1724) a British bookseller, founder of Guy's Hospital, London. Henry Guy (1631-1710), was a politician, only son of Henry Guy by Elizabeth, daughter of Francis Wethered of Ashlyns, Great Berkhampstead,was born in that parish on 16 June 1631.William Guise (Guilelmus Guisius) (c.1653-1683), was an English Orientalist, the son of John...
Another 104 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Why Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Why family to Ireland

Some of the Why family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Why family

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Why, or a variant listed above: Nicholas, Jane and daughter Mary Guy who settled in New England in 1638; Robert Guy settled in Virginia in 1619; a year before the "Mayflower".

The Why 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: Quo honestior eo tutior
Motto Translation: The more reputable the safer

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)