Cainey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

Cainey is a name whose ancestors lived among the Picts, a tribe in ancient Scotland. The Cainey family lived on the lands of Cardney in Perthshire.

Early Origins of the Cainey family

The surname Cainey was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland.

Cairnie is a parish in Aberdeenshire. "This place once formed part of the lordship of Strathbogie, which was granted to Sir Adam Gordon, by King Robert Bruce, after the defeat and attainder of Cumin, Earl of Badenoch, and was the original estate of the family of Gordon, whose property, since that period, has become very greatly extended." 1

Early History of the Cainey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cainey research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1320 and 1546 are included under the topic Early Cainey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cainey Spelling Variations

The appearance of the printing press and the first dictionaries in the last few hundred years did much to standardize spelling. Prior to that time scribes spelled according to sound, a practice that resulted in many spelling variations. Cainey has been spelled Cairney, Cairnie, Cardney, Cairnie and others.

Early Notables of the Cainey family

More information is included under the topic Early Cainey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cainey family

The expense of the crossing to the North American colonies seemed small beside the difficulties of remaining in Scotland. It was a long and hard trip, but at its end lay the reward of freedom. Some Scots remained faithful to England and called themselves United Empire Loyalists, while others fought in the American War of Independence. Much of this lost Scottish heritage has been recovered in the last century through Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important, early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Cainey: John Cairney arrived in New York in 1836.

The Cainey 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: Ad alta
Motto Translation: To high things.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.