Show ContentsKees History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Kees Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Kees

What does the name Kees mean?

In ancient Scotland, the ancestors of the Kees family were part of a tribe called the Picts. The name Kees is derived from the personal name Aodh, a cognate of Hugh. The Gaelic form of the name is usually Mac Aoidh and in Inverness, the Gaelic form of the name Kees is Mac Ai.

"Nothing certain is known of the origin of the northern Mackays beyond the fact that they were early connected with Moray, and may have been a part of the ancient Clann Morgunn. The Inverness-shire Mackays are usually called in Gaelic Mac Ai, that is, MacDhai, or Davidson; they formed a branch of Clan Chattan." 1

Kees Coat of Arms Creation

When Queen Mary was at Inverness, Mackay of Farr disregarded her summons to appear before her. Because of this a commission was granted to the Earl of Sutherland to invade the lands of Strathnaver. He besieged Castle Borve, which was held by a small force of twenty reso-lute clansmen, but the castle was taken and demolished. (Canon were used for the first time in the North of Scotland in this siege). It is said that when Mackay was asked by the Earl of Sutherland to exhibit his charter for his lands he put his hand, clasping a dirk, upon the table and exclaimed "Lamh laidir," the Latin of which, "mane forti" (with a strong hand), has been the motto of the clan ever since. 2

Early Origins of the Kees family

The surname Kees was first found in Sutherland (Gaelic: Cataibh), a former county in northern Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Highland, where early records show that Gilcrest M'Ay, forefather of the MacKay family of Ugadale, made a payment to the constable of Tarbert in 1326. It is claimed that the Clan is descended from the royal house of MacEth.

Early History of the Kees family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kees research. Another 299 words (21 lines of text) covering the years 1329, 1408, 1411, 1429, 1506, 1575, 1640, 1689, 1692, 1726, 1873, 1890 and 1940 are included under the topic Early Kees History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kees Spelling Variations

The appearance of the printing press and the first dictionaries in the last few hundred years did much to standardize spelling. Prior to that time scribes spelled according to sound, a practice that resulted in many spelling variations. Kees has been spelled MacKay, MacCay, MacQuey, MacQuoid, MacKaw, MacKy, MacKye, MacCoy, McCoy and many more.

Early Notables of the Kees family

Hugh Mackay (c. 1640-1692), Scottish general, Major-General Commanding in Chief in Scotland in 1689, killed at the Battle of Steinkeerke; and the infamous John Macky (died 1726), a Scottish...
Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kees Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kees Ranking

the United States, the name Kees is the 10,057th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Kees family to Ireland

Some of the Kees family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 133 words (10 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kees migration to the United States +

The expense of the crossing to the North American colonies seemed small beside the difficulties of remaining in Scotland. It was a long and hard trip, but at its end lay the reward of freedom. Some Scots remained faithful to England and called themselves United Empire Loyalists, while others fought in the American War of Independence. Much of this lost Scottish heritage has been recovered in the last century through Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important, early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Kees:

Kees Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Mary Kees, who landed in Virginia in 1702 4
  • Johan Peter Kees, who arrived in New York in 1709 4
  • Fable Kees, aged 20, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 4
  • Peter Kees, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1753 4
  • Joh Philip Kees, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1774 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Kees (post 1700) +

  • Frederick G. Kees (1852-1927), American architect, co-founder of the Kees and Colburn architectural fiorm
  • Frank M. Kees Jr., American politician, Mayor of Natchitoches, Louisiana, 1950-55 5
  • Kees Klop (1947-2007), Dutch professor of political ethics, he served as the chairman of the NCRV from 2001 to 2005
  • Kees Smit (b. 2006), Dutch footballer
  • Kees Torn (b. 1967), Dutch comedian
  • Kees Teer (1925-2021), Dutch electrical engineer and director of the Philips Natuurkundig Laboratorium from 1968 until 1985
  • Kees Wiese (1936-2020), Dutch journalist, writer and poet from Utrecht, Netherlands
  • Kees van Buuren (b. 1986), Dutch football defender
  • Kees de Wit (1924-1993), Dutch soil scientist and plant breeder
USS Indianapolis
  • Shalous Eugene Kees (1919-1995), American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he survived the sinking 6

Kees Motto and War Cry +

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: Manu forti
Motto Translation: With a strong hand.
War Cry: "Bratach Bhan," or White Banner.
War Cry Description: The badge of the clan is reed grass (in Gaelic cuilc)
  1. 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)
  2. Polson, Alexander, The Romance of Scottish Crests and Mottoes. Inverness: Walter Alexander, Inglis Street 1929. Print
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. 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)
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  6. Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew

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