Blainey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Wales

While Blainey has long been known as an Irish name, the origins of the ancient name Blainey belong to that rich Celtic tradition that comes from Wales. This surname was derived from the Welsh personal name Blethyn.

Early Origins of the Blainey family

The surname Blainey was first found in Worcestershire, but moved to Ireland in the 1500's. Today a small village named Blaney (from the Irish: Bléinigh meaning "creeks") lies in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. Locals claim the area takes its name from the Irish word "Bléan" which also means a "creek." 1

Early History of the Blainey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blainey research. Another 205 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1570, 1573, 1602, 1603, 1604, 1629, 1646, 1689, 1802 and 1874 are included under the topic Early Blainey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blainey Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Blayney, Blainey, Blaney, Blany, Blaney, Blainay, Blanay, Blaynay, Bleiney and many more.

Early Notables of the Blainey family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was

Sir Edward Blayney, also Blainey or Blaney (1570-1629?), Welsh soldier in Ireland who became Baron Blayney of Monaghan...

Blainey migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Blainey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Blainey, who arrived in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1818 2
Henry Blainey, who landed in America in 1825 2

Blainey migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Blainey Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mary Blainey, aged 51, a cook, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Maraval" in 1879
Mr. Mary Blainey, (b. 1827), aged 51, Cornish cook departing on 15th October 1878 aboard the ship "Maraval" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 17th January 1879 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Blainey (post 1700) +

Geoffrey Norman Blainey OC (b. 1930), Australian social historian 4

The Blainey 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: Integra mens augustissima possessio
Motto Translation: An honest mind is the most glorious possession

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Auckland 1872-80 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
Geoffrey Blainey. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Geoffrey Blainey. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Blainey