| ![Show Contents]() Lamay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The origins of this surname lie in the Old French word "ami," meaning "friend," or from the French personal name Amé, which comes from the Latin Amatus, meaning "beloved." Early Origins of the Lamay familyThe surname Lamay was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat as Lords of the Botienne Castle in Cornwall. "In the thirteenth century Richard Amy held from Henry de la Pomeray in Cornwall. His descendants were to be found there till the middle of last century. Mr. Amy, Sheriff of the county in 1714, inherited Botreaux Castle from his uncle Sir John Cotton, and was the father of Cotton Amy, the last heir male, who left only two daughters." 1 Since then, their influence has moved east into Devon, Somerset and Dorset. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Simone and John Ame in Essex temp. Edward I. Early History of the Lamay familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lamay research. Another 110 words (8 lines of text) covering the year 1619 is included under the topic Early Lamay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Lamay Spelling VariationsCornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Amy, Amie, Amey, Ammy, L'Amie, L'Amy, L'Amey, Lamey, Lamie and many more. Early Notables of the Lamay familyMore information is included under the topic Early Lamay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Lamay RankingIn the United States, the name Lamay is the 15,450th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2 Migration of the Lamay familyIn the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Lamay William Amy, who arrived in Virginia in 1642; Cher Amy, who came to Virginia in 1677; John Amy, who came to Barbados in 1679; Thomas Amy, who was on record in Carolina in 1697.
- Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 1 of 3
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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