Malay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The surname Malay originally appeared in Gaelic as "O Maille."

Early Origins of the Malay family

The surname Malay was first found in County Mayo (Irish: Maigh Eo) located on the West coast of the Republic of Ireland in the province of Connacht, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

"The O'Malley's were celebrated Chiefs whose territory comprised the present Baronies of Murrisk and Burrishoole in the County Mayo. The Malleys and O'Malleys are now located principally in the two baronies named, and in that of Erris, in County Mayo. " 1

Early History of the Malay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Malay research. Another 44 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1503, 1603, 1760, 1843 and 1854 are included under the topic Early Malay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Malay Spelling Variations

Just like the English language, the Gaelic language of Ireland was not standardized in the Middle Ages. Therefore, one's name was often recorded under several different spellings during the life of its bearer. Spelling variations revealed in the search for the origins of the Malay family name include Malley, Mallay, Mally, O'Mally, Mailley, O'Malley, O'Mailey, Mailey, Maley, Mealey, Mealley, Meally and many more.

Early Notables of the Malay family

Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Malay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Malay migration to the United States +

Ireland became inhospitable for many native Irish families in the 19th centuries. Poverty, lack of opportunities, high rents, and discrimination forced thousands to leave the island for North America. The largest exodus of Irish settlers occurred with the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. For these immigrants the journey to British North America and the United States was long and dangerous and many did not live to see the shores of those new lands. Those who did make it were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest and most powerful nations of the world. These Irish immigrants were not only important for peopling the new settlements and cities, they also provided the manpower needed for the many industrial and agricultural projects so essential to these growing nations. Immigration and passenger lists have documented the arrival of various people bearing the name Malay to North America:

Malay Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Malay, who arrived in Harford County, Maryland in 1860 2
Patrick Malay, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1867 2

Malay migration to Australia +

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

Malay Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Malay, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Argyle" on March 5th, 1831, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Malay (post 1700) +

Malay Roy Choudhury (1939-2023), Indian Bengali poet, playwright, short story writer, essayist and novelist

Citations +

Matheson, Robert E., Special Report on Surnames in Ireland with Notes as to Numeric Strength, Derivation, Ethnology, and Distribution. Dublin: Alexander Thom & Co., 1894. Print
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)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Argyle voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1831 with 251 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/argyle/1831