Garraway History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the name Garraway date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence on a road near a field or piece of land that was triangular in shape. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old English words gara, meaning "triangular piece of land," and weg, meaning "path" or "road."

Early Origins of the Garraway family

The surname Garraway was first found in Herefordshire at Garway, a parish, in the union of Monmouth, Lower division of the hundred of Wormelow. 1 2

One of the first records of the family was Walter de Garewy who was listed there in 1228. A few years later, William and Walter Garwy were listed in Essex in 1236 and later in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire in 1327. John Gorewy was listed in the Assize Rolls for Kent in 1317. 3

Early History of the Garraway family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Garraway research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1575, 1595, 1639 and 1646 are included under the topic Early Garraway History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Garraway Spelling Variations

Garraway has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Garraway have been found, including Garroway, Garreway, Carroway, Garraway, Carraway and others.

Early Notables of the Garraway family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Sir Henry Garraway (1575-1646), an English merchant in London, member of the Worshipful Company of Drapers, Lord Mayor of London in 1639...
Garraway was elected Lord Mayor on Michaelmas day 16394...

Garraway Ranking

In the United States, the name Garraway is the 17,767^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Garraway family to Ireland

Some of the Garraway 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.

Garraway migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Garraways to arrive on North American shores:

Garraway Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Evans Garraway, who landed in Virginia in 1637 6
Jon Garraway, who landed in Virginia in 1654 6
John Garraway, who arrived in Virginia in 1666 6

Garraway Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Anne Garraway, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Garraway (post 1700) +

Kathryn Mary "Kate" Garraway (b. 1967), English journalist
Ken Garraway, Canadian Olympic soccer player

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, 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)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"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)