Smilie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The ancestors of the first families to use the name Smilie lived in ancient Scotland in the kingdom of Dalriada. The name was then used as a nickname for a for a person noted for their smile, or happy personality. Smilie is thus, a nickname surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Nicknames form a broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, and can refer directly or indirectly to one's personality, physical attributes, mannerisms, or even their habits of dress. The surname Smilie comes from the Old English word, smile, which means grin. Therefore, the surname Smilie would have been adopted by someone with a distinct smile, or grin.
Early Origins of the Smilie family
The surname Smilie was first found in Cumberland, a historic county of North West England, now known as Cumbria.
Early History of the Smilie family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Smilie research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1630, 1660, 1670, 1689, 1697, 1740, 1763, 1774, 1787, 1795, 1890 and 1968 are included under the topic Early Smilie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Smilie Spelling Variations
In various documents Smilie has been spelled Since medieval scribes still spelled according to sound, records from that era contain an enormous number of spelling variations. Smiley, Smellie, Smyly, Smyley, Smilley, Smilie and many more.
Early Notables of the Smilie family
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Smilie Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Smilie family to Ireland
Some of the Smilie family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 163 words (12 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Smilie migration to the United States +
Many who arrived from Scotland settled along the east coast of North America in communities that would go on to become the backbones of the young nations of the United States and Canada. In the American War of Independence, many settlers who remained loyal to England went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Their descendants later began to recover the lost Scottish heritage through events such as the highland games that dot North America in the summer months. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Smilie family emigrate to North America:
Smilie Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- William Smilie, who settled in Charles Town in 1756
- John Smilie, who landed in America in 1762 1
Smilie Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Alexander Smilie, aged 23, who landed in New York in 1812 1
- David Smilie, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1830 1
Contemporary Notables of the name Smilie (post 1700) +
- John Smilie (1741-1812), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1784-86; Member of Pennsylvania State Senate, 1790-93; U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania, 1793-95, 1799-1812 2
- Hilda Smilie, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Alabama, 1972 2
- James Smilie (b. 1944), Scottish-born Australian actor
The Smilie 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: Industria virtus et fortitudo
Motto Translation: Industry, valor, and fortitude.
Citations +
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 20) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html