Contents [hide]

Lay History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Lay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Lay is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest brought to England in 1066. The Lay family lived in any of the various places named Leigh in England. There are at least 16 counties that contain a place named Leigh. The place-name was originally derived from the Old English word leah, which means wood clearing. 1 The English Lay family is descended from the Norman Lay family. The family name Lay became popular in England after the Norman Conquest, when William the Conqueror gave his friends and relatives most of the land formerly owned by Anglo-Saxon aristocrats. The Normans frequently adopted the names of their recently acquired estates in England.

Early Origins of the Lay family

The surname Lay was first found in Cheshire, at High Leigh, where the name is from "an eminent family, who for centuries in that county nearly all the gentry families of that name claim descent." 2

Of note are the following ancient families: Legh of East Hall, in High Legh, county Chester, descended from Efward de Lega, who lived at or near the period of the Conquest and who appears to have a Saxon origin; Leigh of West Hall, in High Leigh, originally De Lynne who married a Legh heiress in the 13th century; and Leigh of Adlestrop (Baron Leigh) county Gloucester, descended from Agens, daughter and heiress of Richard de Legh. 3

"The Lees of Lee, and Darnhall, co. Chester, now represented by the Townshends of Hem and Trevallyn, and the Lees of Quarendon, Bucks, of whom was the gallant Sir Henry Lee, K.G. and the Lees of Ditchley, Earls of Lichfield, whose descendant Viscount Dillon now possesses the Ditchley estate, spring from the De Lee of Battle Abbey." 4

Leigh is a fairly common place name that dates back to pre-Conquest times as Leigh, Herefordshire and Worcestershire were both listed as Beornothesleah in 972. 1

There are over nineteen villages that are either named Leigh or include Leigh in their name throughout Britain. The parish of Hughley in Shropshire derives "its name from Hugh de Lea, proprietor of the manor in the twelfth century, and ancestor of the Leas of Langley and Lea Hall." 5

"The township [of Poulton with Fearnhead, Lancashire] has been the property of the Legh family, of Lyme, since their union with the Haydocks. Bruch, or Birch, the old manor-house, existing in the 12th of Charles I., was given by Sir Peter Legh to his fourth son Peter, whose grand-daughter married the grandson of Dr. Thomas Legh, the third son of Sir Peter." 5

Down in Devon, "a Totnes man, Sir Edmund Lye, ranks among the boldest seamen of Elizabethan days, and as one of the heroes who bore his part in the defeat of the Invincible Armada. Totnes contributed largely towards the fitting out of the Crescent and the Hart, two vessels sent from Dartmouth to join the Anti-Armada fleet. " 6

Early History of the Lay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lay research. Another 252 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1548, 1563, 1583, 1589, 1600, 1614, 1634, 1639, 1640, 1642, 1651, 1653, 1656, 1659, 1660, 1662, 1663, 1667, 1678, 1681, 1687, 1692, 1694, 1701, 1702, 1705, 1711, 1713, 1716, 1717, 1721, 1722, 1743, 1760, 1767, 1797 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Lay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lay Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Leigh, Lee, Lea, Legh, Leghe, Ligh, Lighe, Leyie, Ley and many more.

Early Notables of the Lay family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Benjamin Lay (1681-1760), born in Colchester, England, moved to Barbados as a merchant, he became a Quaker philanthropist and abolitionist in Pennsylvania

Lay Ranking

In the United States, the name Lay is the 1,530^th most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 7 However, in France, the name Lay is ranked the 5,146^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 8

Migration of the Lay family to Ireland

Some of the Lay family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 77 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lay migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Lay or a variant listed above:

Lay Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Robert Lay, who landed in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1638 9
Edward Lay, who arrived in Virginia in 1657 9

Lay Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Benjamin Lay, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1731-1732 9
Christopher Lay, aged 37, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 9
Georg Christoph Lay, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 9
Ludwig Lay, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1736 9
Hans Lay, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1747 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lay Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Christian Lay, who landed in North America in 1847 9
John Lay, who settled in New York State in 1848
D Lay, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 9
Rosine Lay, aged 20, who arrived in New York in 1854 9
Georg Lay, aged 26, who landed in New York in 1854 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lay migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lay Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Alexander Lay, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1757
Anna Lay, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1757
Barbara Lay, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1757
Elisabeth Lay, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1757
Jacob Lay, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1757
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lay migration to Australia +

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

Lay Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Mr. John Lay, English convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for life, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10

Lay Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Lay, English convict who was convicted in Berkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "England"on 28th April 1826, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
Mr. Henry Lay, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Charles Kerr" on 6th June 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. Edward Lay, English convict who was convicted in Southampton, Hampshire, England for 15 years, transported aboard the "Canton" on 20th September 1839, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 13
Sarah Lay, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Florentia" in 1849 14
Mary Lay (aged 18), a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Hooghly" 15

Lay migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Lay Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. George Lay, British settler referred to as the Parkhurst Boys travelling from London aboard the ship "Mandarin" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 14th November 1843, he had been taught trades and pardoned to live in New Zealand 16
Martha E. Lay, aged 18, a laundress, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Edward P Bouverie" in 1873 17

Contemporary Notables of the name Lay (post 1700) +

Samuel L. "Sam" Lay (1935-2022), American drummer and vocalist from Birmingham, Alabama, who performed from the late 1950s with Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Paul Butterfield, and many others, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015
William R. Lay (1882-1934), American Republican politician, Member of Missouri State House of Representatives from Crawford County, 1919-24 18
Walter Victor Lay (1924-1983), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Missouri State House of Representatives from St. Louis City 11th District, 1949-54 18
Tracy Hollingsworth Lay (b. 1882), American politician, U.S. Consul in Paris, 1915-19; U.S. Consul General in Munich, 1923-25; Buenos Aires, 1926-28 18
Theodore M. Lay, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New York State Senate 3rd District, 1946 18
Julius Gareché Lay (1872-1939), American Republican politician, U.S. Consul General in Barcelona, 1899-1904; Canton, 1904-06; Cape Town, 1906-10; Rio de Janeiro, 1910-14; Berlin, 1916-17; Calcutta, 1926 18
John Lay, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Tennessee, 1956 18
John Henry Lay, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Wisconsin, 1940 18
John Lay, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Oneida County, 1802-03, 1812-13, 1814-15 18
James A. Lay, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Missouri State House of Representatives from Benton County, 1934 18
... (Another 33 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Lay 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: Force avec vertu
Motto Translation: Strength with virtue.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 1st February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/charles-kerr
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canton
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) FLORENTIA 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Florentia.htm
South Australian Register. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Rodney 1856. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/rodney1856.shtml
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 4th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html