Show ContentsGandy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Gandy family

The surname Gandy was first found in Suffolk where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The family name was first referenced in the year 1327, when John Gameday held estates in the county. The name was originally Gandow.

Alternatively, the name could have been Norman in origin and in this case, the name was from Candé, near Blois. "Nicholas Candie occurs in Normandy, 1195" according to the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae. 1

Early History of the Gandy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gandy research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1455, 1487, 1619, 1661, 1689, 1714 and 1729 are included under the topic Early Gandy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gandy Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Gandy has been spelled many different ways, including Gandy, Gandey, Gameday, Candy, Candey, Ganty, Canty and many more.

Early Notables of the Gandy family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • James Gandy (1619-1689), one of the earliest native English portrait-painter from Exeter.He is stated to have been a pupil of Vandyck, and to have acquired to some degree the style of that master. "He...
  • William Gandy (d. 1729), was a portrait-painter, son of James Gandy [q. v.], probably born in Ireland. "He was for some years an itinerant painter in Devonshire and the west of England, went to Plymou...

Gandy Ranking

In the United States, the name Gandy is the 2,667th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 2


United States Gandy migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Gandys to arrive in North America:

Gandy Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Absolon Gandy, who arrived in Virginia in 1663
  • William Gandy, who arrived in Maryland in 1671 3
  • George Gandy, who landed in Maryland in 1676 3
Gandy Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Edward Gandy, who arrived in Virginia in 1717 3
Gandy Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • James Gandy, aged 25, who arrived in New York in 1819 3

Australia Gandy migration to Australia +

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

Gandy Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Edward Gandy, who arrived in Kangaroo Island aboard the ship "Rapid" in 1836 4
  • Maria Gandy, who arrived in Kangaroo Island aboard the ship "Rapid" in 1836 4
  • William Gandy, who arrived in Kangaroo Island aboard the ship "Rapid" in 1836 4
  • George Gandy, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Henry Porcher" in 1838 5
  • Mary Jane Gandy, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Henry Porcher" in 1838 5
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Gandy migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Gandy Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mrs. Gandy, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Grasmere" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 4th May 1855 6
  • Ms. Gandy, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Grasmere" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 4th May 1855 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Gandy (post 1700) +

  • Dr. Samuel E. Gandy, American expert of the sticky substance called amyloid that clogs the brains of Alzheimer's patients
  • Edythe Evelyn Gandy (1920-2007), American politician, Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi
  • George Sheppard "Dad" Gandy (1851-1946), American business executive and developer, best known for constructing the original Gandy Bridge, Florida
  • Wayne Gandy (b. 1971), American NFL football offensive tackle
  • Helen W. Gandy (1897-1988), American secretary to Federal Bureau of Investigation director J. Edgar Hoover for fifty-four years
  • Dylan Colter Gandy (b. 1982), American NFL football center
  • Roland Gandy Jr., American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Ohio, 1964 7
  • Pat Gandy, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 1996 7
  • Harry Luther Gandy (1881-1957), American Democratic Party politician, Newspaper editor and publisher; Member of South Dakota State Senate 40th District, 1911-12; U.S. Representative from South Dakota 3rd District, 1915-21 7
  • Enos S. Gandy, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Cumberland County, 1853 7
  • ... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. 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)
  4. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) RAPID 1836. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1836Rapid.htm
  5. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HENY PORCHER 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838HenryPorcher.htm
  6. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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