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Show ContentsGuy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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Guy is a name that came to England in the 11th century wave of migration that was set off by the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Guy family lived in Gloucestershire. The name, however, refers to the district of Guise in France, where the family was resident prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. [1] Aspley Guise is a village and civil parish located in central Bedfordshire.

"Guy of Warwick, hero of romance, is almost wholly a creature of fiction. Dugdale and other historians of Warwickshire literally accepted as historical the series of legends respecting him, to which literary shape seems to have been first given by an Anglo-Norman poet of the twelfth century." [2]

Early Origins of the Guy family

The surname Guy was first found in Gloucestershire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Elmore in that shire, and were descended from Sir William Gyse who attended Duke William in his Conquest of England at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.

It is believed that Sir William first held the manor of Highnam from Gloucester Abbey but by the later marriage of Anselm Gyse to Magotta de Burgh (Burke,) daughter of the Earl of Kent, he acquired the Lordship of both Highnam and Elmore in Gloucestershire.

Some of the first records in various early rolls include: Robert de Guuis who was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Gloucestershire in 1207; and John de Gyse in the Pipe Rolls for Berskhire in 1230. [3]

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Anselm de Gyse in Huntingdonshire. John de Gyse was listed in Bedfordshire, 20 Edward I (during the twentieth year of King Edward I's reign) and the same source notes that William de Gyse was listed in Norfolk at that time. [1]

Early History of the Guy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Guy research. Another 127 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1450, 1617, 1621, 1624, 1629, 1631, 1632, 1644, 1653, 1654, 1670, 1678, 1683, 1695, 1701, 1705, 1710, 1724, 1731, 1732, 1765, 1769, 1773 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Guy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Guy Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Guy has been recorded under many different variations, including Gyse, Guise, Guys, Guy, Gysse, Gyss, Gise, Gwyse and many more.

Early Notables of the Guy family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • John Guy (died 1629?), an English merchant adventurer from Bristol, colonist and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1621 to 1624, the first Proprietary Governor of Newfoundland who led th...
  • Thomas Guy (1644-1724) a British bookseller, founder of Guy's Hospital, London. Henry Guy (1631-1710), was a politician, only son of Henry Guy by Elizabeth, daughter of Francis Wethered of Ashlyns, Gr...

Guy World Ranking

In the United States, the name Guy is the 876th most popular surname with an estimated 34,818 people with that name. [4] However, in Canada, the name Guy is ranked the 921st most popular surname with an estimated 5,863 people with that name. [5] And in Quebec, Canada, the name Guy is the 719th popular surname. [6] Newfoundland, Canada ranks Guy as 300th with 151 people. [7] France ranks Guy as 429th with 9,958 people. [8] Australia ranks Guy as 570th with 6,756 people. [9] New Zealand ranks Guy as 554th with 1,272 people. [10] The United Kingdom ranks Guy as 605th with 10,818 people. [11]

Ireland Migration of the Guy family to Ireland

Some of the Guy family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

United States Guy migration to the United States +

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Guys were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:

Guy Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Robert Guy, aged 22, who arrived in Virginia in 1619 aboard the ship "Swan" [12]
  • Edwin Guy, who settled in New Hampshire in 1620
  • James Guy, aged 20, who landed in Virginia in 1622 aboard the ship "Mary Gold" [12]
  • Whitney Guy, who arrived in Virginia in 1622 [12]
  • Mary Guy, who settled in Nantasket in 1630
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Guy Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William Guy, who landed in New York in 1705 [12]
Guy Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Michael Guy, who landed in New York in 1825 [12]
  • Letitia Guy, aged 30, who arrived in New York, NY in 1834 [12]
  • Thomas Guy, who landed in Mississippi in 1847 [12]
  • Samuel Guy, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1868 [12]
Guy Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Neil Guy, who arrived in Arkansas in 1904 [12]

Canada Guy migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Guy Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
  • Jean Guy, who arrived in Quebec in 1667
  • Mr. Jean Guy, French settler travelling to Canada for work arriving on 9th June 1667 [13]
  • Jean Guy, who settled in Quebec in 1671 from Aunis on the west coast of France near Bordeaux
  • Jean Guy, son of Jean and Jeanne, who married Marie Levreau, daughter of Simon and Suzanne, in Sainte-Famille, Quebec on 7th January 1671 [14]
Guy Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Antoine and François (1722), and Pierre-Theodore Guy (1726), who settled in Quebec from Ile-de-France
  • Antoine Guy, son of Antoine and Renée, who married Agnès Picard, daughter of François and Marie, in Montreal, Quebec on 13th April 1722 [14]
  • François Guy, son of Nicolas and Élisabeth, who married Marie-Josephte Faille, daughter of Claude and Jeanne, in Montreal, Quebec on 9th June 1722 [14]
  • Pierre-Théodore Guy, son of Nicolas and Élisabeth, who married Élisabeth Gareau, daughter of Pierre and Marie, in Montreal, Quebec on 18th November 1725 [14]
  • Jean-Baptiste Guy, son of Jean-Baptiste and Marie-Jeanne, who married Madeleine Bouchard, daughter of Joseph and Marie-Madeleine, in Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, Quebec on 24th November 1751 [14]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Guy Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Hannah Guy, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1822
  • Biddy Guy, aged 17, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Madawaska" in 1833
  • Ellen Guy, aged 32, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Madawaska" in 1833
  • Elenor Guy, aged 30, who landed in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833
  • Maryann Guy, aged 20, who arrived in Quebec in 1834

Australia Guy migration to Australia +

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

Guy Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • John Guy, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Cleveland" in 1839 [15]
  • Joseph Guy, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Dorset" in 1839 [16]
  • Mr. Thomas Guy, (b. 1780), aged 60, British Brass Founder who was convicted in Stafford, England for 10 years for house breaking, transported aboard the "Asia" on 25th April 1840, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1857 [17]
  • Mr. Charles Guy, (White, Edward), English convict who was convicted in Kent, England for 15 years, transported aboard the "Duncan" on 10th December 1840, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [18]
  • Sarah Guy, English convict from Lancaster, who was transported aboard the "Angelina" on April 25, 1844, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia [19]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Guy 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:

Guy Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Matthew Guy, (b. 1815), aged 47, Irish farm labourer, from Armagh travelling from London aboard the ship "Queen of Mersey" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 20th October 1862 [20]
  • Mrs. Sarah Guy, (b. 1815), aged 47, Irish settler, from Armagh travelling from London aboard the ship "Queen of Mersey" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 20th October 1862 [20]
  • Miss Elizabeth Guy, (b. 1838), aged 24, Irish domestic servant, from Armagh travelling from London aboard the ship "Queen of Mersey" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 20th October 1862 [20]
  • Miss Maria Guy, (b. 1841), aged 21, Irish domestic servant, from Armagh travelling from London aboard the ship "Queen of Mersey" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 20th October 1862 [20]
  • Miss Margaret Guy, (b. 1844), aged 18, Irish domestic servant, from Armagh travelling from London aboard the ship "Queen of Mersey" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 20th October 1862 [20]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

West Indies Guy migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. [21]
Guy Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Miss Alice Guy, (b. 1615), aged 20, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Alexander" arriving in Barbados in 1635 [22]

Contemporary Notables of the name Guy (post 1700) +

  • Ray Guy (1949-2022), born William Ray Guy, an American NFL punter for the Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders from Swainsboro, Georgia, inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014
  • Betty Guy (1920-2016), American watercolor landscape artist
  • Jean Guy (1923-2013), American First Lady of North Dakota (1961–1973)
  • William Lewis Guy (1919-2013), American politician, 26th Governor of the North Dakota (1961 to 1973)
  • George "Buddy" Guy (b. 1936), American blues guitarist and singer, ranked 30th in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time"
  • Billy Guy (1936-2002), American singer, best known as a member of The Coasters
  • Jasmine Guy (b. 1964), American actress, singer and dancer
  • James George Guy (b. 1995), English competitive swimmer, two time gold winner at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships, silver at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. A further gold in the 2019 World Aquatics Championships and two gold medals at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo
  • Jamie Leslie Guy (b. 1987), English footballer
  • Lewis Brett Guy (b. 1985), English football forward
  • ... (Another 11 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. Laurence A Guy, British Electrical Artificer, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking [23]
HMS Royal Oak
  • Robert Guy (1921-1939), British Seaman with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking [24]
RMS Titanic
  • Mr. Edward John Guy, aged 28, English Boots from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking by escaping in life boat 5 [25]

The Guy 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: Quo honestior eo tutior
Motto Translation: The more reputable the safer
  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  6. "The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
  7. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  8. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  9. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  10. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  11. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  12. 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)
  13. Debien, Gabriel. Liste Des Engagés Pour Le Canada Au XVIIe Siècle. Vol. 6, Laval University, 1952. (Retreived 24th May 2018). Retrieved from https://lebloguedeguyperron.wordpress.com/2016/06/30/130-liste-des-contrats-dengagement-pour-la-nouvelle-france-releves-a-la-rochelle-entre-1634-et-1679/
  14. Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.
  15. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CLEVELAND 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Cleveland.htm
  16. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) DORSET 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Dorset.gif
  17. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1840
  18. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duncan
  19. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 27) Angelina voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1844 with 171 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/angelina/1844
  20. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  21. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  22. Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 28th September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  23. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
  24. Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
  25. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
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