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![Show Contents]() Gellay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Scotland England
The story of the Gellay family stretches back through time to the Viking settlers who populated the rugged shores of Scotland in the Medieval era. The name Gellay was derived from Giles. "In the Scottish dialect jelly means worthy, upright." 1 The surname Gellay is derived from a corruption of this personal name. Giles is derived from the Old Scandinavian personal name Gilli, which came to the British Isles with the Vikings who settled in the north of England and in Scotland in the 9th century AD. They came to the British Isles under the leadership of Sigurd the Stout after they were dispossessed of their lands by the King of Norway. Early Origins of the Gellay familyThe surname Gellay was first found in Ayrshire where early record show Thomas Jelle held a tenement in 1518. Later, William Jellie is recorded in Cruikens, parish of Carnwath, 1673 and Andrew Jellie and his wife were residents in the parish of Borgue, 1684. 2 Further to the south in England, we found Thomas Jely listed in Essex in 1472; Robert Jely in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1524 and John Jelleye and Richard Gellye in Surrey in 1583. 3 Early History of the Gellay familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gellay research. Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1500, 1592, 1593, 1621, 1663, 1665 and 1673 are included under the topic Early Gellay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Gellay Spelling VariationsStandards used to judge the accuracy of spellings and translations did not yet exist in the Middle Ages. Spelling variations in names dating from that era, are thus, an extremely common occurrence. Gellay has been recorded as Jelly, Jellie, Jelley and others. Early Notables of the Gellay familyMore information is included under the topic Early Gellay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Gellay familyThe New World was far from the oppressive regime of the old country. It was a place where there was more land than people and political and religious freedom were far easier to come by. Many Scots even got the chance to fight for their freedom in the American War of Independence. In recent years, interest in this heritage has been generated by Clan societies and regular highland games in North America. An examination of early immigration and passenger lists has revealed many people bearing the Gellay name: Hugh Jelly settled in Philadelphia in 1804; James Jelly settled in New York in 1823; Thomas Jelly, his wife Mary, and son Richard and his servants, settled in Barbados in 1678.
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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