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Bradey History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Bradey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
England

The Irish name Bradey originally appeared in Gaelic as Mac Bradaigh, possibly derived from bradach, which means spirited, which is in turn derived from brad, which means urging.

Early Origins of the Bradey family

The surname Bradey was first found in Galway (Irish: Gaillimh) part of the province of Connacht, located on the west coast of the Island, and County Clare where they held a family seat from ancient times.

They were descended from Olioll Olum, King of Munster who reigned about 130 A.D. and descended through a line of Chiefs and Kings to John O'Grady, alias O'Brady, who died in 1332 in the Clann territories of Fassaghmore in the county of Clare. His son, Sir Denis O'Grady alias O'Brady of Fassaghmore was knighted by King Henry VI of England.

This great confusion of names continued into the 14th and 15th century and to make matters even more confusing the line frequently reverted from one spelling to the other. The Clann seat became established at Kilballyowen in County Limerick, and the present Chief of the Gradys (or Bradys) is one of the few Chiefs recognized in Ireland. He is Lieutenant Colonel Gerald Vogors de Courcy O'Grady. They were settled in Glenstal Abbey. Many of the name were also found in Cavan.

Early History of the Bradey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bradey research. Another 53 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1454, 1710, 1752 and 1827 are included under the topic Early Bradey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bradey Spelling Variations

The scribes who created documents long before either the Gaelic or English language resembled their standardized versions of today recorded words as they sounded. Consequently, in the Middle Ages the names of many people were recorded under different spellings each time they were written down. Research on the Bradey family name revealed numerous spelling variations, including Grady, Brady, O'Grady, O'Brady, Braidy, Graidy, Bradie, Braidie, Braydy, Braydie, Gradie, Graidie, Graydy, Graydie, Bradigan, O'Bradigan and many more.

Early Notables of the Bradey family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was Sir Denis O'Brady; Andrew MacBrady, was the first bishop of Kilmore in 1454; Fiachra MacBrady (c.1710), Gaelic poet; James Bernard MacBrady, Count of the Holy Roman Empire...
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bradey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bradey migration to the United States +

Irish immigrants began to leave the English-controlled Ireland in sizable numbers during the late 18th century. Many of these Irish immigrated to British North America or the United States in the hopes of gaining their own tract of farmland. This pattern of migration grew steadily until the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine caused a great exodus of immigrants to North America. These immigrants differed from their predecessors in that they were desperately fleeing the disease and starvation that plagued their homeland, and many were entirely destitute when they arrived in North America. Although these penniless immigrants were not warmly welcomed when they arrived, they were critical to the rapid development of the United States and what would become known as Canada. Many went to populate the western frontiers and others provided the cheap labor the new manufacturing sector and the building of bridges, roads, railways, and canals required. A thorough examination of immigration and passenger lists has revealed some of the earliest people to arrive in North America with name Bradey or one of its variants:

Bradey Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Bradey, who landed in Maryland in 1678 1

Bradey Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. P. Bradey, aged 54, who arrived in New York City, N.Y. in 1904 aboard the ship "Fontabella" from Demerara, British West Indies 2
Connell Bradey, aged 22, who arrived in New York in 1905 aboard the ship "Caledonia" from Londonderry, Ireland 2
Annie Bradey, aged 27, who arrived in New York in 1906 aboard the ship "Baltic" from Queenstown, Ireland 2
John Bradey, aged 45, who arrived in New York in 1908 aboard the ship "Saint Louis" from Southampton, England 2
Peter Bradey, aged 25, who arrived in New York in 1924 aboard the ship "Olympic" from Southampton, England 2

Bradey migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bradey Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

William Bradey, aged 44, a farmer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the barque "Charlotte Lungan" from Liverpool, England

Bradey migration to Australia +

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

Bradey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Ann Bradey, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 20th June 1836, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 3
Daniel Bradey, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Diadem" in 1840 4

Bradey 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:

Francis Henry Bradey, aged 33, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Phoebe Dunbar" between 1841 and 1850
Elizabeth Bradey, aged 34, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Phoebe Dunbar" between 1841 and 1850
Catherine M. Bradey, aged 5, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Phoebe Dunbar" between 1841 and 1850

Bradey Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Francis Bradey, aged 45, a farmer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Adelaide" in 1858 5
Keturah Bradey, aged 38, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Adelaide" in 1858 5
Emma Bradey, aged 20, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Adelaide" in 1858 5
Francis Bradey, aged 12, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Adelaide" in 1858 5
Mary Jane Bradey, aged 9, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Adelaide" in 1858 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Bradey (post 1700) +

Donald Eugene Bradey (b. 1934), American former Major League Baseball pitcher who played three games for the Houston Colt .45s. in 1964
Sharon Bradey, Australian squash player as the 1988 and 1989 Women's British Open Squash Championship
Lydia Bradey, New Zealand mountaineer, the first woman to summit Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen in 1988

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)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The barque DIADEM 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840Diadem.htm
Shadow Time Settlers (Retrieved 5th November 2010), retrieved from http://shadowsoftime.co.nz/settlers.html