Glennay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The ancestors of the Glennay name date back to the kingdom of Dalriada in ancient Scotland. Glennay was a name for someone who lived in Gleney, or Glennie, in Braemar, Aberdeenshire. Glennie is a surname from the region around Aberdeen, and it was originally born by generations of tenant farmers in the districts of both Dee and Don. The surname Glennie, which was originally derived from Gaelic "gleann" which means "valley", was also given to someone who resided near a valley.

Early Origins of the Glennay family

The surname Glennay was first found in Aberdeenshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Obar Dheathain), a historic county, and present day Council Area of Aberdeen, located in the Grampian region of northeastern Scotland, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Glennay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Glennay research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Glennay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Glennay Spelling Variations

Spelling in the medieval era was a highly imprecise process. Translation, particularly from Gaelic to English, was little better. For these reasons, early Scottish names are rife with spelling variations. In various documents Glennay has been spelled Glennie, Gleny, Glen, Glenney, Glenning, Glenny and many more.

Early Notables of the Glennay family

More information is included under the topic Early Glennay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Glennay family to Ireland

Some of the Glennay 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.

Migration of the Glennay family

Ancestors of many of the Dalriadan families who crossed the Atlantic still live along the east coast of the United States and Canada. Some Scottish settlers arrived in Canada during the American War of Independence as United Empire Loyalists, while others stayed south to fight for a new nation. The descendants of Scottish settlers in both countries began to rediscover their heritage in the 19th and 20th centuries through Clan societies and highland games. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Glennay or a variant listed above: John Glenney who settled in Philadelphia in 1856; followed by Michael and Robert; Bridget, Mary, and Patrick Glenning arrived in New York in 1804; Alexander Glenny arrived in Philadelphia in 1876.