Gainey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The surname Gainey comes from the original Irish Gaelic name Ó Geibheannaigh or Mac Geibheannaigh. 1

Early Origins of the Gainey family

The surname Gainey was first found in County Galway (Irish: Gaillimh) part of the province of Connacht, located on the west coast of the Island, which is the principal homeland of the sept O Geibheannaigh. The O Geibheannaigh sept belonged to the Ui Maine (Hy Many) and descended from Geibheannach, the son of a Hy Many chief slain in 971. There was also a County Fermanagh sept called Mac Geibheannaigh mentioned in the Annals of Loch Ce in 1308.

Early History of the Gainey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gainey research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1590 and 1599 are included under the topic Early Gainey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gainey Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Keaveney, Keveney, Kevany, Geaveny, Geaney, Geane, Gaine, Gainey, O'Keaveney, O'Geaney and many more.

Early Notables of the Gainey family

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

Gainey Ranking

In the United States, the name Gainey is the 4,500^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 2

Gainey migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gainey Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Gainey, who landed in Maryland in 1673 3

Gainey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Owen Gainey, who arrived in Maryland in 1836 3
Michael Gainey, who was naturalized in Georgia in 1894

Gainey migration to Australia +

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

Gainey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Gainey, aged 52, a gardener, who arrived in South Australia in 1850 aboard the ship "Constance" 4
William Gainey, aged 22, a wheelwright, who arrived in South Australia in 1850 aboard the ship "Constance" 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Gainey (post 1700) +

Edward "Ed" Gainey (d. 2013), American politician, Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Command Sergeant Major William J. "Joe" Gainey (b. 1956), the first Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (SEAC)
Lieutenant General Kathleen M. Gainey, American Army Director for Logistics, J4, the Joint Staff
Edward Eugene 'Ed" Gainey (b. 1990), American football defensive back, currently a member of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League
Michael Connor "M. C." Gainey (b. 1948), American actor, best known for his roles as Southern or Southwestern thugs and criminals
Telmanch "Ty" Gainey (b. 1960), American former Major League Baseball outfielder
Tommy "Two Gloves" Gainey (b. 1975), American professional PGA golfer
Daniel C. Gainey, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Minnesota, 1948 (alternate), 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964 (alternate) 5
Richard John Gainey MBE (1890-1975), Australian politician, Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Elsternwick (1955–1967)
Steve Gainey (b. 1979), Canadian former professional NHL ice hockey forward who played from 1999 to 2009
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Gainey 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: Turris fortis mihi Deus
Motto Translation: God is a tower of strength to me.

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, Supplement to Irish Families. Baltimore: Genealogical Book Company, 1964. Print.
"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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CONSTANCE 1850. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Constance.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html