Wrey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Wrey is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived as a local name for a secluded nook or corner of land, derived from the Old Norse word "vra" 1. The second possible origin was as a nickname for a person with twisted or crooked features.

Early Origins of the Wrey family

The surname Wrey was first found in Lancashire where Wray is a small village, part of the civil parish of Wray-with-Botton and in 2001 had a population of 521. This village dates back to at least 1227 when the village was named Wra.

There is also a Wray in High Cumbria complete with Wray Castle which dates back to c. 1535 when it was spelled Wraye and a Wrea Green in Lancashire which dates back the farthest in 1201 with the spelling of Wra. 1 This latter reference is larger of the two Lancashire references as in 2001, 1600 people lived there.

The Domesday Book lists the name Wray (spelled Werei) 2 as land held by Godwine in Devon and comprised land for 6 ploughs, 8 acres of meadows and 5 acres of pasture. And it is in Devon that Robert le Wrey who lived in the second year of King Stephen (1136-1137) and whose son was seated at Wrey, in parish of Moreton-Hamstead claimed their origins. 3

The manor of Trebicen or Trebigh, St. Ive, Cornwall was passed to the "Wreys, who are said to have had their seat here in the reign of Charles I. Sir William Wrey being described as of this place when created a Baronet in the year 1628. In this family both the manor and the estate have ever since remained. It is now the property of Sir Bourchier Wrey, whose family ever since the match with the heiress of Bourchier, have resided in Devonshire. The old mansion is at present a farm house." 4

Early History of the Wrey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wrey research. Another 133 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1524, 1555, 1586, 1592, 1601, 1611, 1617, 1619, 1625, 1626, 1645, 1646, 1653, 1654, 1655, 1660, 1664, 1669, 1696 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Wrey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wrey Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Wrey family name include Wray, Wraye, Wrey, Wreye and others.

Early Notables of the Wrey family

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

Migration of the Wrey family to Ireland

Some of the Wrey family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wrey migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Wrey surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Wrey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Wrey, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1866 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Wrey (post 1700) +

Sir Richard Wrey,
Bourchier Wrey Savile (1817-1888), English author, second son of Albany Savile (died 1831), M.P., of Okehampton
Jacob Wrey Mould (1825-1886), American architect, illustrator, linguist and musician, best known for his contributions to the design of New York City's Central Park
Charles Wrey Gardiner (1901-1981), English writer and poet, editor and publisher

The Wrey 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: En juste et vray
Motto Translation: In justice and truth.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. 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)