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![Show Contents]() Athy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The distinguished surname Athy is Ango-Saxon in origin. It is derived from the Old English "gehaeg", meaning "dweller at the enclosure" and was most likely originally borne by someone living within an enclosure. 1 Most sources agree on this origin, but one differs: "This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Adam,' from the colloquial Addy. This was sharpened into Atty." 2 Early Origins of the Athy familyThe surname Athy was first found in Cambridgeshire, where Lecia Ateheye was recorded in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1279. 1 While this is the first entry in early rolls, another source notes that Gerard de Atie, and Engelard, his nephew, were chief supporters of King John who reigned between from 1199 to 1216. 3 Early History of the Athy familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Athy research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1279, 1379, 1388 and 1568 are included under the topic Early Athy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Athy Spelling VariationsUntil quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Athy include Athy, Athey, Atha, Atty, Attey and others. Early Notables of the Athy familyNotables of the family at this time include - the Athy family of Galway
 Migration of the Athy family to Ireland
Some of the Athy family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 69 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Athy migration to the United States | + |
Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Athy or a variant listed above:
Athy Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- George Athy, who arrived in Maryland in 1674 4
- 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 5
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: To be led and not dragged.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
- 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)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Athy migration to the United States 
England
Ireland
