Melady History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The name Melady comes from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It was a name for a bold or impetuous person. The surname Melady is derived from the Old English word modig, which means brave, impetuous, or bold. Occasionally, the surname Melady is derived from the female personal name Melodia. In this case, this name is a metronymic surname, which is derived from the name of the mother. 1 2

Early Origins of the Melady family

The surname Melady was first found in Devon, where the source Old English Bynames lists Alwine Modi as living there c. 1100-1130. A few years later in Nottinghamshire, Godric Modi was listed c.1150. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 lists Adam Mody, Oxfordshire; Roger Mody, Salop (Shropshire); and Simon Modi, Cambridgeshire. In Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included: Johannes Mody, husband; Thomas Mody and Sibota uxor ejus; and Thomas Mody and Agnes uxor ejus. 1

"Moody is an ancient name that was represented in the reign of Edward I. by Mody and Mudy in Norfolk, and by Mody and Modi in Oxfordshire and Wilts (H. R.). Probably the Suffolk and Yorkshire name of Mudd or Mudde is another form of this name. Moody is a name that has also a home in the south and west of England in Hampshire and Somerset. William Moody possessed 29 acres in Partney, Lincolnshire, in 1616; and there was a John Moody, Esq., of Scremby, in this county, about 1750. The name of Moody was represented by Mody or Modi in the neighbouring county of Wiltshire 600 years ago." 4

We would be remiss if we did not mention of the family in Scotland. There, the first on record was "Johannes Modi [who] served on an inquest made at Peebles in 1262." 5

"William Mudy, merchant, had a safe conduct to visit England in 1365 with four companions, and William Mudy armiger, with two horsemen in 1367-1368. Sorlet, rector of Assend (Assynt) witnessed the charter of Bishop William (Mudy) to his brother-german Gilbert Mudy in 1455. Thome Mwdy and Robert Mwdy appear in Brechin in 1450, the former held land there in 1461 and in 1496 John Mwdy held land there. Mudy occurs in Perth in 1499, William Mwdye was chamberlain of Orkney in 1563, and Robert Mudie had a charter of part of the lands of Maistertoun in 1600. The direct line in Forfarshire endea on the death of John Mudie of Pitmuies in 1876. George Mudy was enrolled burgess of Dundee in 1576, and a burial place for Mudies was erected there in 1602." 5

Early History of the Melady family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Melady research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1297, 1428, 1563, 1600, 1637, 1639, 1727, 1812 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Melady History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Melady Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Melady has undergone many spelling variations, including Moody, Moodye, Moodie, Mudy, Mudie and others.

Early Notables of the Melady family

Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Melady Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Melady family to Ireland

Some of the Melady family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 328 words (23 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Melady migration to Canada +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Melady were among those contributors:

Melady Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

James Melady, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1843

Contemporary Notables of the name Melady (post 1700) +

Thomas Patrick Melady (b. 1927), American politician, U.S. Ambassador to Burundi, 1969; Uganda, 1972; Vatican, 1989-93 6
Margaret Melady, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from District of Columbia, 2008 6

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html