| ![Show Contents]() Handey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England The ancient history of the name Handey dates back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It was a name given to a person who is good with their hands, in other words, a handyman as the name was originally derived from the Old English hondi, which meant "skilled with his hands." A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames referred to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character. Early Origins of the Handey familyThe surname Handey was first found in Lancashire 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 Handey familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Handey research. Another 60 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Handey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Handey Spelling VariationsUntil quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Handey include Handy, Handie, Handey, Handye and others. Early Notables of the Handey familyMore information is included under the topic Early Handey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
 Handey migration to the United States | + |
Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Handey or a variant listed above:
Handey Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Thomas Handey, who settled in Virginia in 1670
| Handey 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: Handey Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Mr. Michael Handey (Hanley), (b. 1839), aged 25, British ploughman travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "British Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, South Island, New Zealand on 6th September 1864 1
| Contemporary Notables of the name Handey (post 1700) | + |
- Jack Handey (b. 1949), American comedian, best known for his Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey, a collection of one-liner jokes
- Jack Handey (b. 1949), American humorist
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Handey migration to the United States 
Handey migration to New Zealand 
