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Origins Available: |
| Scotland |
Lennay was first used as a surname by descendants of the Pictish people of ancient Scotland. The ancestors of the Lennay family lived in the old lands of Leny, which were in the parish of Callander in Perth. The surname Lennay belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.
The surname Lennay was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lennay research. Another 113 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1257, 1270, 1408 and 1550 are included under the topic Early Lennay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Repeated and inaccurate translation of Scottish names from Gaelic to English and back resulted in a wide variety of spelling variations with single names. Lennay has appeared Lennie, Leny, Lenay, Lenny and others.
More information is included under the topic Early Lennay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Many Scottish families suffered enormous hardships and were compelled to leave their country of birth. They traveled to Ireland and Australia, but mostly to the colonies of North America, where many found the freedom and opportunity they sought. It was not without a fight, though, as many were forced to stand up and defend their freedom in the American War of Independence. The ancestors of these Scots abroad have rediscovered their heritage in the last century through the Clan societies and other organizations that have sprung up across North America. Immigration and passenger ship lists show some important early immigrants bearing the name Lennay: James and Patrick Lenny arrived in Philadelphia in 1845; James Lenny arrived in Philadelphia in 1871.