Cauley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The name Cauley comes from the Scottish/English Borderlands and the ancient Boernicians who inhabited them. It is derived from the son of Amalghaidh, (an old Irish personal name). The distinguished name Cauley is derived from the Gaelic name MacAmhalghaidh and was generally found in Dumbartonshire. Alternatively, the name could have come from the Gaelic name MacAmhlaibh or MacAmhaidh, which means son of Amlaib and in this case, the name was originally derived from the Norse King Olafr. This latter branch was generally found in the Hebrides.

Early Origins of the Cauley family

The surname Cauley was first found in at Ardencaple, in Dumbartonshire. Ardencaple "cape of the horses," was the ancestral home of the Lairds of Ardencaple and is located on the shores of the Gare Loch, in the historical district of Lennox, county Dumbarton. They were one of the Clans of MacAlpine.

The history of the MacAulay Clan is particularly complex as there are two distinct branches, in addition to an infusion of MacAulays during the reign of Robert the Bruce. The name of Aulay, brother of the Earl of Lennox, is found on the Ragman Rolls, which confirms his pledge of allegiance to King Edward I of England. This branch entered into a bond of manrent with MacGregor of Glenstrae in 1591.

The second branch of this Clan is that of the MacAulays of the Isle of Lewis. These Clansmen claimed descent from Aula (Olaf the Black), who was a thirteenth-century king of the Isles. Their lands were traditional centered around Uig. This branch was probably related to the numerous MacAulays of Ross and Sutherland.

Finally, some members of a branch of the MacAulay Clann from Ireland were invited by Robert the Bruce to Scotland to help in his wars against the English. These last MacAulays may be ancient relatives to those of Ardincaple, Dumbartonshire. It was some while later that the MacAulays were first recognized as a Clan.

Early History of the Cauley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cauley research. Another 54 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1595, 1767 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Cauley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cauley Spelling Variations

A lack of rules and the tendency of scribes to spell according to the sound of the word plagued medieval spelling. Not surprisingly, an enormous number of spelling variations appeared. Cauley has been written MacAuly, MacAwley, MacAuley, MacAullay, MacAulley, MacAwlay, MacCaulay, MacCawley, MacGawley, Magawley, Cauley, Caulay, McCamley and many more.

Early Notables of the Cauley family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was the 'MacCawlis' who appear on the roll of Broken Clans in 1595. Their fortunes fell, the last of their lands of...
Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cauley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cauley Ranking

In the United States, the name Cauley is the 8,848^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Cauley family to Ireland

Some of the Cauley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cauley migration to the United States +

Many Scots crossed the Atlantic for North America hoping to escape poverty, as well as persecution. Much of their heritage was lost along the way and overtime. This century, however, Clan societies and highland games have allowed many ancestral Scots to recover their birthright. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Cauley arrived in North America very early:

Cauley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Cauley, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 2
Thomas Cauley, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 2
Henry Cauley, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1854 2
A. H. Cauley, aged 38, who immigrated to America, in 1895
Bridget Cauley, aged 18, who landed in America, in 1897
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cauley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

John William Cauley, aged 26, who settled in America, in 1904
Arthur William Cauley, aged 5, who immigrated to the United States, in 1907
Patrick J. Cauley, aged 17, who landed in America from Tubbercurry, Ireland, in 1914
John Cauley, aged 22, who immigrated to the United States, in 1919
Daniel Cauley, aged 18, who settled in America, in 1920
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Cauley (post 1700) +

Cleon Cauley, American Acting Secretary of the Delaware Department of Transportation (2011-)
Ben Cauley (1947-2015), American trumpet player, vocalist, and founding member of the recording group, The Bar-Kays, sole survivor of the 1967 plane crash that killed Otis Redding and the other four members of the Bar-Kays
Jane A. Cauley, American Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and an Associate Dean for Research at the University of Pittsburgh
William "Bud" Cauley (b. 1990), American professional golfer
Tom Cauley, American politician, Village President of Hinsdale, Illinois; Elected 2009 3
Thomas H. Cauley, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Pennsylvania State House of Representatives from Allegheny County 4th District; Elected 1960 3
Robert E. Cauley, American politician, American Independent Candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Michigan, 1970; American Independent Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives 22nd District, 1972 3
Frank Cauley, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Westchester County 5th District, 1928 3
E. R. Cauley, American politician, Mayor of Kingsville, Texas, 1955 3
Delia M. Cauley, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Massachusetts, 1928 3

The Cauley 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: Dulce Periculum
Motto Translation: Danger is sweet

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html