The name Abby was first used centuries ago in the region that was once the Scottish kingdom of Dalriada. It was a name for a person who was a lay-abbot of a monastery. In the Middle Ages, this was the title held usually by the leading family of the village.
The surname Abby was first found in the county of Angus, in the parish of Abbey and Brechin. The first record was of Donald Abbe of Brechin in 1178, who witnessed a charter with Turpin, Bishop of Brechin, and later he gifted the lands of Balegillegrand to the Abbey of Arbroath, which grant was confirmed by King William the Lion.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Abby research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1219 and 1370 are included under the topic Early Abby History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Spelling in the medieval era was a highly imprecise process. Translation, particularly from Gaelic to English, was little better. For these reasons, early Scottish names are rife with spelling variations. In various documents Abby has been spelled Abbey, Aba, Abbe, Abbie, Abey, Abbeys, Aby and others.
More information is included under the topic Early Abby Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
These settlers arrived in North America at a time when the east was burgeoning with prosperous colonies and the expanses of the west were just being opened up. The American War of Independence was also imminent. Some Scots stayed to fight for a new country, while others who remained loyal went north as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of them went on to rediscover their heritage in the 20th century through highland games and other patriotic Scottish events. The Abby were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: