Show ContentsEady History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Eady is one of the oldest family names to come from the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from the son of Ede, as Edison, which was later shortened to Eadie. The surname Eady originally derived from the Old English word Eade which referred to abundant riches.However, another reference claims that the name was derived from the Middle English name Edwy and the Old English word Eadwig which are composed of the elements ead meaning prosperity and wig which meant war. 1 2

Early Origins of the Eady family

The surname Eady was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where the name is found as a surname only: Eddiva, Aediva pulchra. 3 Later Stephen Edy was recorded in the Gloucestershire in 1278. 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 reveled more early spelling of the name: Edde (no personal name listed) in Norfolk; Edde filius Hugh in Huntingdonshire; William filius Ede in Suffolk; Robert filius Ede in Huntingdonshire; and William Ede in Norfolk. 5

"Eade is an ancient Suffolk name. In the form of Ede it occurred in this county, as well as in Norfolk, in the reign of Edward I., and in this form it was, at the same time, numerous in the neighbouring county of Huntingdonshire. Under "Sussex" reference will be found to this name in that county. Eades is a name now found in Bedfordshire, whilst Ede is found in Cornwall. The ancient name of Eade has long been in Sussex. In 1203 John Eade bought half a messuage for twenty shillings in the parish of Steyning." 6

Early History of the Eady family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Eady research. Another 150 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1379, 1500, 1555, 1565, 1566, 1603, 1604, 1609, 1667, 1686 and 1803 are included under the topic Early Eady History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Eady Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Eady has undergone many spelling variations, including Eadie, Eades, Edey, Eadey, Eddy, Edeson, Edison and others.

Early Notables of the Eady family

Distinguished members of the family include Richard Eedes or Edes (1555-1604), Dean of Worcester, born probably in Bedfordshire in 1555 of an old family which had been long seated at Sewell in...
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Eady Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Eady Ranking

In the United States, the name Eady is the 5,960th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 7

Migration of the Eady family to Ireland

Some of the Eady family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Eady migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Eady were among those contributors:

Eady Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mrs. Eady, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 8

Eady migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Eady Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Private Daniel Eady U.E., "Edy" from Vermont, USA who settled in St Jean sur Richelieu, Quebec c. 1783 he served in the King's Royal Rangers died in 1784, married to Sarah Jones they had 5 children 9
  • Mr. Daniel Eady U.E., "Edy" who settled in Canada c. 1784 9
Eady Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Eady migration to Australia +

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

Eady Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Eady, English convict who was convicted in Chelmsford, Essex, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 30th September 1848, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 11

Eady 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:

Eady Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mary Eady, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Andrew Jackson" in 1865
  • Louisa Eady, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Andrew Jackson" in 1865
  • William Eady, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Andrew Jackson" in 1865
  • Thomas Eady, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Andrew Jackson" in 1865
  • Arthur Eady, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Andrew Jackson" in 1865
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Eady (post 1700) +

  • Alyse Cynthia Eady (b. 1988), American model, Miss Arkansas 2010, Miss America 2011 Pageant, 1st Runner-Up
  • Cornelius Eady (b. 1954), American poet
  • J. Thomas Eady (b. 1908), American politician, Mayor of Corsicana, Texas, 1957-59 12
  • Dorothy Louise Eady (1904-1981), also known as Omm Sety or Om Seti, an English antiques caretaker and folklorist, keeper of the Abydos Temple of Seti I and draughtswoman for the Department of Egyptian Antiquities; she believed that in a previous life she had been a priestess in ancient Egypt
  • Sir David Eady (b. 1943), English jurist, High Court judge in England and Wales (1997-2013)
  • Roger Mynors Swinfen Eady (b. 1938), 3rd Baron Swinfen, a British peer
  • Sir "Crawfurd" Wilfred Griffin Eady GCMG, KCB, KBE, (1890-1962), British Treasury official and diplomat
  • David Eady (1924-2009), British film director and producer
  • George Hathaway Eady (1865-1941), British Conservative Party politician, Member of Parliament for Bradford Central (1931–1935)
  • Eric Eady (1915-1966), British meteorology researcher and author who developed the Eady Model of baroclinic instability
  • ... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
  2. Dixon, Bernard Homer, Surnames. London: John Wilson and son, 1857. Print
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  7. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  8. 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)
  9. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  10. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th November 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
  12. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook