Show ContentsAthy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Athy family

The surname Athy was first found in Galway (Irish: Gaillimh) part of the province of Connacht, located on the west coast of the Island, where they held a family seat as one of the 'Tribes of Galway.' Irish history, after the Norman Conquest of England, was strongly influenced by the invasion of Strongbow in 1172, almost equal to the enormous Irish cultural impact on England Scotland, Wales and the whole of Europe before the Norman Conquest from the 1st to 7th centuries. Many Irish clans, sept names were intermixed and family groupings became almost indistinguishable. This family name settled in Galway and it is said to be of Norman origin.

Early History of the Athy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Athy research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Athy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Athy Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Athy, Athey, Athie and others.

Early Notables of the Athy family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was

  • Athy of Galway


United States Athy migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Athy Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • George Athy, who arrived in Maryland in 1674 [1]
  • Mary Athy, who settled in Virginia in 1689
Athy Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John and Thomas C. Athy, who were naturalized in Indiana around 1856

Contemporary Notables of the name Athy (post 1700) +

  • Andrew Athy, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Mayor of Worcester, Massachusetts, 1887 [2]


The Athy 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: Duci et non trahi
Motto Translation: A leader no a follower.


  1. 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)
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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