Origins Available: Irish,
Scottish
The roots of the name Quay are found among the Pictish clans of ancient
Scotland. The name comes from the
personal name Aodh, a cognate of
Hugh. The Gaelic form of the name is usually
Mac Aoidh and in Inverness, the Gaelic form of the name Quay is
Mac Ai.Early Origins of the Quay family
The surname Quay was first found in
Sutherland (Gaelic: Cataibh), a former county in northern
Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Highland, where early records show that Gilcrest M'Ay, forefather of the MacKay family of Ugadale, made a payment to the constable of Tarbert in 1326. It is claimed that the
Clan is descended from the royal house of MacEth.
Early History of the Quay family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Quay research.
Another 597 words (43 lines of text) covering the years 1408, 1411, 1429, 1329, 1506, 1575, 1873, 1940, 1640, 1692, 1689, 1726 and 1692 are included under the topic Early Quay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Quay Spelling Variations
Although Medieval
Scotland lacked a basic set of spelling rules, which meant that scribes recorded names according to their sounds it was not uncommon for the names of a father and son to be recorded differently. As a result, there are many
spelling variations of Scottish single names. Quay has been written MacKay, MacCay, MacQuey, MacQuoid, MacKaw, MacKy, MacKye, MacCoy, McCoy and many more.
Early Notables of the Quay family (pre 1700)
Notable amongst the
Clan at this time was Hugh Mackay
(c. 1640-1692), Scottish general, Major-General Commanding in Chief in
Scotland in 1689, killed at the Battle of Steinkeerke; and...
Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Quay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Quay family to Ireland
Some of the Quay family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 253 words (18 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Quay family to the New World and Oceana
Thousands of Scots left their home country to travel to
Ireland or
Australia, or to cross the Atlantic for the North American colonies. The difficult crossing was an enormous hurdle, but those who survived found freedom and opportunity in ample measure. Some Scots even fought for their freedom in the American
War of Independence. This century, their ancestors have become aware of the illustrious history of the Scots in North America and at home through
Clan societies and other organizations. Passenger and immigration lists show many early and influential immigrants bearing the name Quay:
Quay Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- John Quay, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1806 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - Andrew Quay, who arrived in South Carolina in 1810-1813 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - William Quay, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1875 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)
Contemporary Notables of the name Quay (post 1700)
- Richard R. Quay, American Republican politician, Member of Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1891-92; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1912 [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html - Matthew Stanley Quay (1833-1904), American Republican politician, Secretary of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1873-78, 1879-82; Pennsylvania Republican State Chair, 1878-79, 1902-03; Pennsylvania State Treasurer, 1886-87 [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html - Joseph F. Quay, American politician, Member of Pennsylvania State Senate 12th District, 1844-46 [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html - John P. Quay, American Democrat politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from New Britain, 1926 [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html - Bob Quay, American politician, Mayor of Kennewick, Washington, 1992-93 [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Quay 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: Manu forti
Motto Translation: With a strong hand.