Guy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  France 
  Ireland 


Guy is a name that came to England in the 11th century wave of migration that was set off by the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Guy family lived in Gloucestershire. The name, however, refers to the district of Guise in France, where the family was resident prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. 1 Aspley Guise is a village and civil parish located in central Bedfordshire.

"Guy of Warwick, hero of romance, is almost wholly a creature of fiction. Dugdale and other historians of Warwickshire literally accepted as historical the series of legends respecting him, to which literary shape seems to have been first given by an Anglo-Norman poet of the twelfth century." 2

Early Origins of the Guy family

The surname Guy was first found in Gloucestershire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Elmore in that shire, and were descended from Sir William Gyse who attended Duke William in his Conquest of England at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.

It is believed that Sir William first held the manor of Highnam from Gloucester Abbey but by the later marriage of Anselm Gyse to Magotta de Burgh (Burke,) daughter of the Earl of Kent, he acquired the Lordship of both Highnam and Elmore in Gloucestershire.

Some of the first records in various early rolls include: Robert de Guuis who was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Gloucestershire in 1207; and John de Gyse in the Pipe Rolls for Berskhire in 1230. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Anselm de Gyse in Huntingdonshire. John de Gyse was listed in Bedfordshire, 20 Edward I (during the twentieth year of King Edward I's reign) and the same source notes that William de Gyse was listed in Norfolk at that time. 1

Early History of the Guy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Guy research. Another 127 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1450, 1617, 1621, 1624, 1629, 1631, 1632, 1644, 1653, 1654, 1670, 1678, 1683, 1695, 1701, 1705, 1710, 1724, 1731, 1732, 1765, 1769, 1773 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Guy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Guy Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Guy has been recorded under many different variations, including Gyse, Guise, Guys, Guy, Gysse, Gyss, Gise, Gwyse and many more.

Early Notables of the Guy family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Guy World Ranking

In the United States, the name Guy is the 876th most popular surname with an estimated 34,818 people with that name. 4 However, in Canada, the name Guy is ranked the 921st most popular surname with an estimated 5,863 people with that name. 5 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Guy is the 719th popular surname. 6 Newfoundland, Canada ranks Guy as 300th with 151 people. 7 France ranks Guy as 429th with 9,958 people. 8 Australia ranks Guy as 570th with 6,756 people. 9 New Zealand ranks Guy as 554th with 1,272 people. 10 The United Kingdom ranks Guy as 605th with 10,818 people. 11

Migration of the Guy family to Ireland

Some of the Guy family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Guy migration to the United States +

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Guys were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:

Guy Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Guy Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Guy Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Guy Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Guy migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Guy Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
Guy Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Guy Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Guy migration to Australia +

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

Guy Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Guy migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Guy Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Guy migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 21
Guy Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Guy (post 1700) +


The Guy 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: Quo honestior eo tutior
Motto Translation: The more reputable the safer
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