Show ContentsBealey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the Bealey family were part of an ancient Scottish tribe called the Picts. They lived in Bellie, in Morayshire. The name is a topographic or local surname, which was given to a family who held a barony or lands, had houses, manors or estates in that area. Some think that the name is derived from the occupational name of bailie, but our records cannot confirm that claim. Indeed much of the early records list many of the family in other occupations.

Early Origins of the Bealey family

The surname Bealey was first found in Moray, where they held a family seat from very early times.

Early History of the Bealey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bealey research. Another 136 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1598, 1643, 1648, 1650 and 1743 are included under the topic Early Bealey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bealey Spelling Variations

Prior to the invention of the printing press in the last hundred years, documents were basically unique. Names were written according to sound, and often appeared differently each time they were recorded. Spelling variations of the name Bealey include Bellie, Belley, Bealie, Beeley, Belley, Bely, Beayly, Beyley, Beilley, Bealy, Bellye, Belly and many more.

Early Notables of the Bealey family

Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bealey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Bealey migration to the United States +

The freedom of the North American colonies was enticing, and many Scots left to make the great crossing. It was a long and hard journey, but its reward was a place where there was more land than people and tolerance was far easier to come by. Many of these people came together to fight for a new nation in the American War of Independence, while others remained loyal to the old order as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of Scots in North America have recovered much of this heritage in the 20th century through Clan societies and other such organizations. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important and early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Bealey:

Bealey Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Bealey, who arrived in Maryland in 1680 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Bealey (post 1700) +

  • Herbert Bealey Adshead (1862-1932), Canadian writer and politician

HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. Royston H Bealey, British Stoker 2nd Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 2


The Bealey 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: Per acuta Belli
Motto Translation: Through the asperities of war.


  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. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook