Show ContentsCandea History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Candea family

The surname Candea was first found in Suffolk where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The family name was first referenced in the year 1327, when John Gameday held estates in the county. The name was originally Gandow.

Alternatively, the name could have been Norman in origin and in this case, the name was from Candé, near Blois. "Nicholas Candie occurs in Normandy, 1195" according to the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae. 1

Early History of the Candea family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Candea research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1455, 1487, 1619, 1661, 1689, 1714 and 1729 are included under the topic Early Candea History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Candea Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Candea include Gandy, Gandey, Gameday, Candy, Candey, Ganty, Canty and many more.

Early Notables of the Candea family

Distinguished members of the family include James Gandy (1619-1689), one of the earliest native English portrait-painter from Exeter.He is stated to have been a pupil of Vandyck, and to have acquired to some degree the style of that master. "He has even been supposed to have assisted Vandyck by painting the drapery in his pictures. In 1661 he was taken to Ireland by his patron, the Duke of Ormonde, and remained there until his death in 1689." 2 William Gandy (d. 1729), was a portrait-painter, son of James Gandy [q. v.], probably born in Ireland. "He was for some years an...
Another 100 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Candea Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Candea family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Candea or a variant listed above: Absolon Gandy, who arrived in Virginia in 1663; William Cantey, who settled in South Carolina in 1670-1672; George Gandy, who settled in Maryland in 1676.



  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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