Callas History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland

Etymology of Callas

What does the name Callas mean?

Many variations of the name Callas have evolved since the time of its initial creation. In Gaelic it appeared as Mac Amhalghaidh or Mac Amhlaoibh. The former name denotes a son of Auley, while the later denotes a son of Auliffe or a son of Humphrey. They claim descent through the Heremon line of Irish kings. (O'Hart)

Early Origins of the Callas family

The surname Callas was first found in county Westmeath (Irish: An Iarmhí) in the Irish Midlands, province of Leinster, where at one time the area which is now Ballyloughnoe was once called "McGawley's Country." There is another sept named Mac Amhlaoibh in Gaelic which were a branch of the MacGuires and mainly found in County Fermanagh. This branch gave their name to Clanawley. 1

Early History of the Callas family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Callas research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1787 and 1841 are included under the topic Early Callas History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Callas Spelling Variations

Those scribes in Ireland during the Middle Ages recorded names as they sounded. Consequently, in this era many people were recorded under different spellings each time their name was written down. Research on the Callas family name revealed numerous spelling variations, including MacAulay, MacAwley, MacAuley, MacAullay, MacAulley, MacAwlay, MacCaulay, MacCawley, MacGawley, Magawley, Cauley, Caulay, McCamley and many more.

Early Notables of the Callas family

Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Callas Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Callas Ranking

the United States, the name Callas is the 17,844^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Callas migration to the United States +

A massive amount of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century for North America and Australia in hopes of finding more opportunities and an escape from discrimination and oppression. A great portion of these migrants arrived on the eastern shores of the North American continent. Although they were generally poor and destitute, and, therefore, again discriminated against, these Irish people were heartily welcomed for the hard labor involved in the construction of railroads, canals, roadways, and buildings. Many others were put to work in the newly established factories or agricultural projects that were so essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the world. The Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s initiated the largest wave of Iris immigration. Early North American immigration and passenger lists have revealed a number of people bearing the name Callas or a variant listed above:

Callas Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Elizabeth Callas, who landed in Louisiana in 1719 3

Callas Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mateo Callas, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1803 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Callas (post 1700) +

Maria Callas (1923-1977), American operatic soprano and one of the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century

Historic Events for the Callas family +

Flight TWA 800

Mr. Daniel J. Callas (1974-1996), from Philadelphia, USA, American TWA crew member flying aboard Flight TWA 800 from J.F.K. Airport, New York to Leonardo da Vinci Airport, Rome when the plane crashed after takeoff ; he died in the crash 4

Sources +

MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
"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 Washington Post Passenger List TWA Flight 800. (Retrieved 2018, February 15th). Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/twa800/list01.htm