Cawley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 
  Scotland 


Many variations of the name Cawley have evolved since the time of its initial creation. In Gaelic it appeared as Mac Amhalghaidh or Mac Amhlaoibh. The former name denotes a son of Auley, while the later denotes a son of Auliffe or a son of Humphrey. They claim descent through the Heremon line of Irish kings. 1

Early Origins of the Cawley family

The surname Cawley was first found in county Westmeath (Irish: An Iarmhí) in the Irish Midlands, province of Leinster, where at one time the area which is now Ballyloughnoe was once called "McGawley's Country." There is another sept named Mac Amhlaoibh in Gaelic which were a branch of the MacGuires and mainly found in County Fermanagh. This branch gave their name to Clanawley. 2

Early History of the Cawley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cawley research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1787 and 1841 are included under the topic Early Cawley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cawley Spelling Variations

People who were accounted for by scribes and church officials often had their name recorded many different ways because pronunciation was the only guide those scribes and church officials had to go by. This resulted in the problem of one person's name being recorded under several different variations, creating the illusion of more than one person. Among the many spelling variations of the surname Cawley that are preserved in archival documents are MacAulay, MacAwley, MacAuley, MacAullay, MacAulley, MacAwlay, MacCaulay, MacCawley, MacGawley, Magawley, Cauley, Caulay, McCamley and many more.

Early Notables of the Cawley family

Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cawley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cawley Ranking

In the United States, the name Cawley is the 7,289th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3


Cawley migration to the United States +

Irish families left their homeland in astonishing numbers during the 19th century in search of a better life. Although individual reasons vary, most of these Irish families suffered from extreme poverty, lack of work opportunities, and exorbitant rents in their homeland. Many decided to travel to Australia or North America in the hopes of finding greater opportunities and land. The Irish immigrants that came to North America initially settled on the East Coast, often in major centers such as Boston or New York. But like the many other cultures to settle in North America, the Irish traveled to almost any region they felt held greater promise; as a result, many Irish with gold fever moved all the way out to the Pacific coast. Others before that time left for land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula, or the Maritimes as United Empire Loyalists, for many Irish did choose to side with the English during the American War of Independence. The earliest wave of Irish migration, however, occurred during the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s. An examination of early immigration and passenger lists has revealed many people bearing the Cawley name:

Cawley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Cawley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Cawley migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cawley Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Cawley migration to Australia +

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

Cawley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Cawley (post 1700) +
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