Dixay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Dixay is an ancient Anglo-Saxon surname that came from the German derivative of Dix where it was the short form for Benedikt.

Early Origins of the Dixay family

The surname Dixay was first found in Leicestershire where they were recorded as a family of great antiquity seated at Ellandune (now called Wilton.) 1

Early rolls list: Robert Dysci in the Feet of Fines of Huntingdonshire; and Alice Dixi in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273-1279 list the following entries in Cambridgeshire; Laurence Dixi; Sabina Dixi; and Adam Disce. The same rolls also list Hugo Discey and Robert Discy in Huntingdonshire. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls also list Robert Discy. 3

Early History of the Dixay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dixay research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1524, 1585, 1594, 1614, 1625, 1660 and 1798 are included under the topic Early Dixay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dixay 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. Dixay has been recorded under many different variations, including Dixie, Dicksey, Dicksy, Dixy and others.

Early Notables of the Dixay family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir Wolstan Dixie, (1524-1594), merchant and administrator, Lord Mayor of London in 1585. He was the son of Thomas Dixie and Anne Jephson, who lived at Catworth in Huntingdonshire. His ancestors had been seated at Catworth for several generations, and had considerable estates. Wolstan, however, was the...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dixay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dixay 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 Dixay or a variant listed above: William Dixey who settled in Barbados in 1693; Joseph Dixey settled in Boston in 1820; Richard Dixey settled in Maryland in 1725.

The Dixay 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: Quod Dixi Dixi
Motto Translation: What I have said, I have said.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)