| ![Show Contents]() Lejay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Scotland Ireland The chronicle of the name Lejay begins with a family in the Pictish clans of ancient Scotland. The name is derived from at Leckie in the county of Stirlingshire. The place name is derived from the Gaelic leac, or "flagstone," and the suffix -ach, which means "place." Early Origins of the Lejay familyThe surname Lejay was first found in the shires of Dumbarton and Stirling, derived from the barony of Leckie in the parish of Gargunnock, Stirlingshire. The first on record was "Murdoch Leckie [who] received a grant of two fourth parts of Bathewnn and Altremony from Robert III." 1 Robert III, John Stewart, was King of Scots from 1390 to his death in 1406. From this early recording, we must move to the 16th and 17th centuries to find the next records. "David Lekky was denounced [as a] rebel in 1537, Janet Laiky appears in Cammok, parish of Glenylla, 1599, and Euphemia Laikie in Carneleithe, 1694." 1 "The surname appears as Lecque among the Scots Guards in France, and the Leckies of Antrim and Carlow in Ireland are of Scottish descent. In Forman's heraldic MS. the name is spelled Leuke. The individual who had a charter of the lands of Leckie in the reign of David II was a descendant of Corc, brother of Maldouen, third Earl of Lennox." 1 Early History of the Lejay familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lejay research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1380, 1390, 1406, 1537, 1784, 1797 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Lejay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Lejay Spelling VariationsWhen the first dictionaries were invented in the last few hundred years, spelling gradually became standardized. Before that time, scribes spelled according to sound. Names were often recorded under different spelling variations every time they were written. Lejay has been written Leckie, Leck, Leckey, Lecky, Lackey, Lackie, Lachey, Lakey and many more. Early Notables of the Lejay familyAnother 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lejay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Lejay family to Ireland
Some of the Lejay family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Lejay migration to the United States | + |
The crossing to North America did not seem so great in comparison with the hardships many Scots endured at home. It was long, expensive, and cramped, but also rewarding. North America offered land and the chance for settlers to prove themselves in a new place. And many did prove themselves as they fought to forge a new nation in the American War of Independence. The ancestors of those Scots can now experience much of their once-lost heritage through the Clan societies and highland games that have sprung up across North America in the last century. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important, early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Lejay:
Lejay Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Isaac LeJay, who landed in South Carolina in 1685 2
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: Virtutis praemium
Motto Translation: Virtues reward
- 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)
- 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)
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Lejay migration to the United States 
