Contents [hide]

Shay History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Shay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the Shay surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived near a small wood or shaw. Shay is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. The surname Shay is believed to be derived from the Old English word sceaga, which means dweller by the wood.

Early Origins of the Shay family

The surname Shay was first found in Berkshire, where they were established in the 12th century.

Early History of the Shay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shay research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1191, 1281, 1307, 1388, 1407, 1615, 1617, 1635, 1659, 1660, 1661, 1679, 1680, 1690, 1696, 1780, 1815 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Shay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shay Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Shay include Shaw, Shawe, Shave, Sheaves, Shaves, Shay, Shayes and many more.

Early Notables of the Shay family

Notables of the family at this time include John Shawe (died 1407), of Oxford, English politician, Member of the Parliament of England (MP) for Oxford in 1388; Sir John Shaw, 1st Baronet (c 1615-1680), an English merchant and politician, Member of Parliament for Lyme Regis (1661-1679); Sir...
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Shay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shay Ranking

In the United States, the name Shay is the 3,699^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Shay family to Ireland

Some of the Shay family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shay migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Shay Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John L Shay, aged 15, who landed in North Carolina in 1812 2
Mary Shay, aged 20, who arrived in America in 1821 2
Andw Shay, aged 26, who arrived in America in 1821 2
Timothy Shay, who arrived in New York in 1850 2
William Shay, who arrived in New York in 1851 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Shay migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Shay Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

James Shay, who arrived in Quebec in 1849

Shay migration to Australia +

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

Shay Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Shay, English convict who was convicted in Bath, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "David Clarke" on 3rd June 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Shay (post 1700) +

Gene Shay (1935-2020), born Ivan Shaner, an American radio personality
Art Shay (1922-2018), American photographer and writer from the Bronx, New York
Jerry Shay (b. 1944), former American NFL football player
Ephraim Shay (1839-1916), American Inventor, entrepreneur, eponym of the Shay locomotive
Dorothy Shay (1921-1978), American popular comedic recording artist
Jennifer Mary Shay OC (b. 1930), Canadian academic and ecologist
Lewis Shay McGugan (b. 1988), English footballer
Richard Shay Whitson (b. 1986), American professional mixed martial arts fighter
Shay Healy (1943-2021), Irish songwriter, broadcaster and journalist. He is best known for his role as host of Nighthawks, a RTÉ Television chat show of the late 1980s
Shay Duffin (1931-2010), Irish-born American character actor of the stage and screen, known for The Departed (2006), Titanic (1997) and Raging Bull (1980)

The Shay 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: Vincit qui patitur
Motto Translation: He conquers who endures.

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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 3rd June 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/david-clarke