The place name, from which the Benay family take their surname arrived in
Scotland with the Viking settlers. The first to use Benay as a name no doubt lived at Bennie, near the village of Braco in the parish of Logi-Almond in Perthshire.
Early Origins of the Benay family
The surname Benay was first found in
Cumberland, and
Westmorland, where they held a
family seat from ancient times, long before the
Norman Conquest in 1066 A.D.
Early History of the Benay family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Benay research.
Another 149 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1200 and 1607 are included under the topic Early Benay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Benay Spelling Variations
Few standards of spelling and translation existed in the Middle Ages.
spelling variations, are thus, an extremely common occurrence in records of ancient Scottish names. Over the years, Benay has been spelled Benny, Beny, Bennie, Bennee, Benne, Beney, Benney and others.
Early Notables of the Benay family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Benay Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Benay family to the New World and Oceana
Land and opportunity greeted all those who made it across the Atlantic. These settlers and their children went on to play important roles in the forging of the great nations of the United States and Canada.
Clan societies and other Scottish organizations have preserved much of this heritage for the ancestors of those brave Scots. Immigration and passenger lists have documented the arrival of various people bearing the name Benay to North America: William Bennie who was a saddle bag preacher in Boston in 1635; Stephen Benney settled in New York in 1822; Edward Benny settled in Virginia in 1654; along with James and Joseph, and Alexander who settled in the same state..
The Benay 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: Virtute et opera
Motto Translation: By virtue and energy.