Caffy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

The name Caffy originally descend from Cobthach Fionn, a quo Ó Cobhthaigh, where "cobthach" means "victorious" and "fionn" means "fair," combined to mean "the fairhaired victor." 1

Early Origins of the Caffy family

The surname Caffy was first found in County Cork, Roscommon and Meath, where the claim descent from the Irish monarch, Luy Mac Con, from the line of Ithe Kings, ancestor of Cobthach Fion, who in turn was the ancestor of the name Coffey or Caughey (both pronounced the same way). The O'Coffeys of Corcaloidhe are kin of the O'Driscolls, and are still common in southwest County Cork today.

Early History of the Caffy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Caffy research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1580, 1700, 1729, 1745, 1857 and 1916 are included under the topic Early Caffy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Caffy Spelling Variations

Many different spelling variations of the surname Caffy were found in the archives researched. These included Scribes and church officials generally spelled a name as it sounded; as a result, a person's name could be spelt innumerable ways in his lifetime. Coffey, Caughey, Coffie, Coughey, Cauffey, Cauffy, Cauffie, Coffy, Coughay, Coffay, Coffeye and many more.

Early Notables of the Caffy family

Notable among the family name at this time was Dermot O'Coffey (fl. 1580), the Gaelic poet. Charles Coffey of Leinster (1700-1745), was an Irish dramatist, actor and composer, a 'native of Ireland,' is first heard of in Dublin. In Dublin...
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Caffy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Caffy migration to Australia +

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

Caffy Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Michael Caffy, (b. 1821), aged 15, Irish convict who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Earl Grey" on 27th August 1836, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 2

The Caffy 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: Non providentia sed victoria
Motto Translation: No victory without foresight

Citations +

O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-grey