Phayre History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France
Ireland
Scotland
England

The Phayre surname in Ireland is generally thought to have come from a translation of the Gaelic "fionn," meaning "fair." More often than not, the spelling in use in Ireland is with the "ph" as in Phair or Phayr. 1 Thus the name was originally given to one with fair hair or of a fair disposition and means "son of the fair one"

Early Origins of the Phayre family

The surname Phayre was first found in Ireland where according to O'Hart, the "family name came into Ireland with the Cromwellian Settlement, or with the Revolution." 2 This name is scattered throughout Ireland and instances of it nowadays are rare. However in its original form, Fionn, it holds an important part in Irish mythology, being the first name of the legendary hero, Fionn MacCumhaill, leader of the mighty warriors the Fianna.

It is generally thought that this Irish family was a branch from the family residing in Devon, England.

Early History of the Phayre family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Phayre research. Another 22 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1612, 1619, 1648, 1649, 1650, 1651, 1654, 1662 and 1682 are included under the topic Early Phayre History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Phayre Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Fair, Faire, Faires, Fayer, Fayers, Fairs, Fare, Phair, Phaire, Phayre, Phares and many more.

Early Notables of the Phayre family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was

Robert Phayre (c.1619-1682) Governor of Cork, and soldier, one of the Regicides of King Charles I of England. He was held at the Tower of London, but after paying a substantial ransom and marrying the...

Phayre migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Phayre Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Phayre, aged 38, who arrived in Harford County, Maryland in 1838 3

Phayre 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:

Phayre Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Francis Phayre, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 25th February 1856 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Phayre (post 1700) +

Brigadier Robert Arthur Phayre DSO (1901-1993), British soldier and cricketer
Sir Robert Phayre (1820-1897), British Army officer, he and his brother Sir Arthur Phayre were direct descendant of the Regicide Colonel Robert Phaire
Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Purves Phayre GCMG KCSI CB (b. 1812), British Indian Army officer and diplomat, the first Commissioner of British Burma(1862–1867) and later Governor of Mauritius (1874–1878)

The Phayre 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: Virtute tutus
Motto Translation: By Virtue Safe

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, Supplement to Irish Families. Baltimore: Genealogical Book Company, 1964. Print.
O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html