Show ContentsMakey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Hebrides islands and the west coast of Scotland are the ancestral home of the Makey family. Their name comes from the personal name Aodh, which is often Anglicized as Hugh. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Aoidh, which means son of Aodh.

Early Origins of the Makey family

The surname Makey was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), formerly a county in the southwestern Strathclyde region of Scotland, that today makes up the Council Areas of South, East, and North Ayrshire, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Scotland.

Early History of the Makey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Makey research. Another 134 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1304 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Makey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Makey Spelling Variations

Medieval translation of Gaelic names could not be referred to as an accurate process. Spelling was not yet standardized, and names in documents from that era are riddled with spelling variations. Makey has been written as Mackie, Mackey, MacHugh and others.

Early Notables of the Makey family

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

Ireland Migration of the Makey family to Ireland

Some of the Makey family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 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 Makey migration to the United States +

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 Makey or a variant listed above:

Makey Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Danll Makey, who landed in Virginia in 1652 1
  • William Makey, who arrived in Maryland in 1666 1


The Makey 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: Labore
Motto Translation: By labour.


  1. 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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