Calfey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Calfey is an ancient Anglo-Saxon surname that came from Calf, a variant of the Old Norse personal name Kalfr, which means calf. However, several alternative interpretations exist. The name may be of nickname origin, derived from the Old English cealf which means calf, indicating one thought to possess the characteristics of a calf. 1

Early Origins of the Calfey family

The surname Calfey was first found in various counties throughout old Britain as by the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, the following listings were found: Reginald Cauf, Yorkshire; John le Cauf, Lincolnshire; and Nicholas Calf, Gloucestershire. 2

Early History of the Calfey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Calfey research. Another 240 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1163, 1176, 1273, 1500, 1560, 1580, 1597, 1605, 1657 and 1738 are included under the topic Early Calfey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Calfey Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Calfey has been recorded under many different variations, including Calf, Calfe, Cauf, Caufe, Calffe and others.

Early Notables of the Calfey family

Notables of the family at this time include Abraham Colfe or Calf (1580-1657), English divine, son of the Rev. Richard Colfe, D.D., prebendary of Canterbury, by his first wife, whose maiden name was Thorneton, was born at Canterbury, 7 Aug. 1580, of a family that had settled...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Calfey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Calfey family to Ireland

Some of the Calfey family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Calfey family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Calfey or a variant listed above: William Calfe who arrived in Virginia in 1637 and Daniel Calf in Boston in 1765.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)