Show ContentsFay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Irish name Fay has a long Gaelic heritage to its credit. The original Gaelic form of the name Fay is Ó Fathaigh, derived from the word "fothadh," meaning "foundation." 1

Early Origins of the Fay family

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

Early History of the Fay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fay research. Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fay Spelling Variations

The recording of names in Ireland during the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. Since the general population did not know how to read or write, they could only specify how their names should be recorded orally. Research into the name Fay revealed spelling variations, including Fahey, Fahie, Fahy, Fay, O'Fahey, O'Fahy, Vahey and many more.

Early Notables of the Fay family

More information is included under the topic Early Fay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fay Ranking

In the United States, the name Fay is the 2,277th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 2 However, in France, the name Fay is ranked the 2,488th most popular surname with an estimated 2,500 - 3,000 people with that name. 3


Fay migration to the United States +

A great mass of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century, seeking relief from various forms of social, religious, and economic discrimination. This Irish exodus was primarily to North America. If the migrants survived the long ocean journey, many unfortunately would find more discrimination in the colonies of British North America and the fledgling United States of America. These newly arrived Irish were, however, wanted as a cheap source of labor for the many large agricultural and industrial projects that were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the western world. Early immigration and passenger lists indicate many people bearing the Fay name:

Fay Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Henry Fay, who arrived in Newbury, Massachusetts in 1655 4
  • Tho Fay, who arrived in Virginia in 1655 4
Fay Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Johann Conrad Fay, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1752 4
  • Simon Fay, who settled in Maryland in 1767
Fay Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Luke Fay, who arrived in New York, NY in 1815 4
  • Andrew Fay, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 4
  • Patrick Fay, who arrived in New York in 1819 4
  • William Fay, who arrived in New York in 1819 4
  • Lawrence Fay, who landed in New York in 1819 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Fay migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Fay Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Henry E. Fay U.E. who settled in Carleton [Saint John City], New Brunswick c. 1784 5
Fay Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Dennis Fay, aged 16 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "John Bolton" departing 13th April 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 10th June 1847 but he died on board 6
  • Mr. Hugh Fay, aged 40 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Blenheim" departing 16th June 1847 from Cork, Ireland; the ship arrived on 29th July 1847 but he died on board 6
  • Mr. James Fay who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Princess Royal" departing 5th May 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 16th June 1847 but he died on board 6
  • Mr. John Fay who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Princess Royal" departing 5th May 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 16th June 1847 but he died on board 6
  • Mr. Luke Fay who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "George" departing 13th April 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 12th June 1847 but he died on board 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Fay migration to Australia +

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

Fay Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr.John Fay, (b. 1788), aged 31, Irish convict who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for bad notes, transported aboard the "Bencoolen" on 24th April 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia before being transferred to Tasmania via the "Admiral Cockburn" 7
  • Mr. Charles Fay, British Convict who was convicted in Southampton, Hampshire, England for life for machine breaking, transported aboard the "Eleanor" on 26th June 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
  • John Fay, English convict from Southampton, who was transported aboard the "Andromeda" on November 13, 1832, settling in New South Wales, Australia 9
  • Miss Mary Fay, (b. 1816), aged 21, Irish laundress who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Diamond" on 29th November 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
  • Bridget Fay, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Inconstant" in 1849 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Fay 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:

Fay Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Anthony Fay, (b. 1837), aged 25, Irish farm labourer, from County Cavan travelling from London aboard the ship "Queen of Mersey" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 20th October 1862 12
  • Mr. Teddy Fay, (b. 1844), aged 22, British labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "John Temperley" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st June 1866 13

Contemporary Notables of the name Fay (post 1700) +

  • Dorothy Fay (1915-2003), born Dorothy Alice Fay Southworth, an American actress mainly known for her appearances in Western movies
  • Meagen Fay (b. 1957), American actress, known for her work on Ohara (1987-1988), Life With Louie (1995-1998) and Malcolm in the Middle (2002-2004)
  • Paul B. Fay (1918-2009), United States Secretary of the Navy, a close confidant of President John F. Kennedy
  • Peter Thorp Fay (1929-2021), American jurist, Senior United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
  • Judge Edgar Stewart Fay, American Circuit Judge
  • Rick Fay (1926-1999), American clarinetist
  • Peter W. Fay (1924-2004), American historian
  • Ming Fay, American sculptor
  • Larry Fay (1888-1933), American businessperson
  • Jonathan Fay, American computer scientist
  • ... (Another 12 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

RMS Titanic
  • Mr. Thomas Joseph Fay (d. 1912), aged 30, English Greaser from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 14
USS Arizona
  • Mr. Lawrence E. Fay, American Gunner's Mate Third Class working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he survived the sinking 15


The Fay 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: Esperance
Motto Translation: Hope.


Suggested Readings for the name Fay +

  • Edwin Fay of Vermont and Alabama, 1794-1876: His Origins from 1656 and His Descendants to 1987 by Mary Smith Fay.
  • The History of the Bemis, Perkinson, Fay, and Lawrence Families: These Being the Four Ancestral Lines of the Compiler by Ted Harrison Bemis.

  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  4. 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)
  5. 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
  6. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 75)
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bencoolen
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eleanor
  9. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 27) Andromeda voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1832 with 186 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/andromeda/1832
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 1st July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Diamond
  11. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The INCONSTANT the Voyage - 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Inconstant.htm
  12. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  13. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  14. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
  15. Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html


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