Cabe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland

The Cabe family's roots in Ireland stretch back to the year 1350, when they were imported to Ireland as mercenaries, or gallowglasses, from Scotland by the Irish chiefs of the O'Rourkes and the O'Reillys of Leitrim and Cavan. This family was named for the peculiar headgear it wore: the name Cabe comes from the Gaelic word Caba, meaning 'hat' or 'cap.' Thus, it belongs to the nickname category of surnames.

Early Origins of the Cabe family

The surname Cabe was first found in on the Isle of Arran in Scotland. Shortly after their arrival in Ireland in 1350, they became a recognized Breffny sept with their chief being "Constable of the two Breffnys". This would be their homeland for centuries. They were known as mercenaries to the O'Reillys and the O'Rourkes, but then became their own Sept in Breffny and their Chief was the 'Constable of the two Breffnys.'

During the middle of the 14th century, they were granted lands in Leitrim, Cavan, Monaghan and Meath. The MaCabes lost their estates after the battle of Aughrim in 1691.

Early History of the Cabe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cabe research. Another 112 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1601, 1613, 1689, 1740 and 1810 are included under the topic Early Cabe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cabe Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: McAbbe, Caybe, McCaibe, MacAbe, Abee, McAbeee, McAbbee, Abbee, McCaybe, Cabe, Abeee, MacCabee, MacCabe, McCabe, Cabbe, McAbee, Caibe and many more.

Early Notables of the Cabe family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was

Alexander MacCabe (fl.1689), who was a descendant of the last chieftains of the MacCabes

Cabe Ranking

In the United States, the name Cabe is the 8,959^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Cabe migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cabe Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Cabe, who landed in Virginia in 1704 2

Cabe Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Pedro Cabe, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1823 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Cabe (post 1700) +

Jakie Cabe, American actor and writer, known for Kiddy Grade (2002), Dragon Ball Z (1989) and Yu Yu Hakusho: Ghost Files (1992)
Charles Cabe, American Republican politician, Chair of Clark County Republican Party, 2003 3

The Cabe 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: Aut vincere aut mori
Motto Translation: Either to conquer or die.

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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, November 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html