Show ContentsAlway History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The history of the name Alway begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from the Old English personal name Æthelwig, which originally meant noble-war, Ælfwig, which meant elf-war, or Ealdwig, which meant old war.

Early Origins of the Alway family

The surname Alway was first found in Suffolk, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Alway family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Alway research. Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1188, 1200, 1206, 1221, 1264, 1273, 1301, 1544, 1599 and 1681 are included under the topic Early Alway History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Alway Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Alway has been recorded under many different variations, including Alway, Allway, Alewy, Alwy, Always, Allways, Ailwi, Alwi, Alawy, Alewi, Alwaye and many more.

Early Notables of the Alway family

More information is included under the topic Early Alway Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Canada Alway migration to Canada +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Alway or a variant listed above:

Alway Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • J. W. Alway in Lincoln County, Ontario in 1872
  • Alfred Alway in Haldimand County, Ontario in 1877

Australia Alway migration to Australia +

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

Alway Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Alway, (b. 1811), aged 22, English convict who was convicted in Somerset, England for life for robbery, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 27th April 1833, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Alway (post 1700) +

  • Guy Garland Alway (1886-1959), American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1923 2
  • Curtis D. Alway, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Michigan 9th District, 1916 2


  1. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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