Gallaway History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:

Ireland

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When the Anglo-Normans began to settle in Ireland, they brought the tradition of local surnames to an island which already had a Gaelic naming system of hereditary surnames established. Unlike the Irish, the Anglo-Normans had an affinity for local surnames. Local surnames, such as Gallaway, were formed from the names of a place or a geographical landmark where the person lived, held land, or was born. The earliest Anglo-Norman surnames of this type came from Normandy, but as the Normans moved, they created names that referred to where they actually resided. Therefore, English places were used for names when the Normans lived in England, and then Irish places after these particular Anglo-Normans had been settled in Ireland for some time. Originally, these place names were prefixed by de, which means from in French. However, this type of prefix was eventually either made a part of the surname, if the place name began with a vowel, or it was eliminated entirely. The Gallaway family originally lived in either of two places. The Gallaway family of Ulster derives its name from the region of Galloway in southern Scotland, which lies nearby. However, the southern Gallaway family probably derives its surname from the city or county of Galway in Ireland.

Early Origins of the Gallaway family

The surname Gallaway was first found in County Cork (Irish: Corcaigh) the ancient Kingdom of Deis Muin (Desmond), located on the southwest coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they were granted land by Strongbow after the invasion of 1172.

Early History of the Gallaway family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gallaway research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1361 and 1430 are included under the topic Early Gallaway History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gallaway Spelling Variations

Church officials and medieval scribes often simply spelled names as they sounded. As a result, a single person's name may have been recorded a dozen different ways during his lifetime. Spelling variations for the name Gallaway include: Galwey, Galswey, Galway, Gallway, Gallwey and many more.

Early Notables of the Gallaway family

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

Gallaway Ranking

In the United States, the name Gallaway is the 8,484^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Gallaway migration to the United States +

In the 1840s, Ireland experienced a mass exodus to North America due to the Great Potato Famine. These families wanted to escape from hunger and disease that was ravaging their homeland. With the promise of work, freedom and land overseas, the Irish looked upon British North America and the United States as a means of hope and prosperity. Those that survived the journey were able to achieve this through much hard work and perseverance. Early immigration and passenger lists revealed many bearing the name Gallaway:

Gallaway Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Gallaway, who landed in Virginia in 1623 2
Mary Gallaway, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 2

Gallaway Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Gallaway, who landed in Virginia in 1724 2
Margtt Gallaway, who arrived in Virginia in 1724 2
Marsh Gallaway, who landed in Virginia in 1724 2

Gallaway Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

George Gallaway, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1846 2

Gallaway migration to Australia +

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

Gallaway Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Patrick Gallaway, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Dorothy" in 1849 3
Mrs. Anne Gallaway, (b. 1794), aged 62, Cornish housekeeper travelling aboard the ship "Cressy" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 12th January 1856 4
Mr. James Gallaway, (b. 1832), aged 24, Cornish agricultural labourer travelling aboard the ship "Cressy" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 12th January 1856 4
Mr. Moses Gallaway, (b. 1838), aged 18, Cornish agricultural labourer travelling aboard the ship "Cressy" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 12th January 1856 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Gallaway (post 1700) +

Robert Gallaway (b. 1962), American professional baseball player
Iain Watson Gallaway QSO MBE (1922-2021), New Zealand broadcaster, lawyer and cricketer, commentator on the radio station Radio Sport, and a first-class cricketer
Roger John Gallaway (b. 1948), Canadian educator and retired politician
Sam Gallaway (b. 1992), Australian footballer

The Gallaway 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: Vincit Veritas
Motto Translation: Truth conquers.