Ghey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Etymology of Ghey

The surname is one of the native Irish surnames that come from the Irish Gaelic language. The original Gaelic form of the name Ghey is "Mac Eachaidh," from the personal name Eachaidh, which is Anglicized as Aghy. It is cognate with Eochaigh, which is Anglicized as the once-common Christian name Oghy.

Early Origins of the Ghey family

Early History of the Ghey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ghey research. Another 106 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ghey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ghey Spelling Variations

Names from the Middle Ages demonstrate many spelling variations. This is because the recording scribe or church official often decided as to how a person's name was spelt and in what language. Research into the name Ghey revealed many variations, including Caughey, McCaughey, McGaughey, Coffee, Coffey, Coffy, O'Coffey, O'Coffy, Mulcahy, McGahey and many more.

Early Notables of the Ghey family

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

Migration of the Ghey family

To escape the religious and political discrimination they experienced primarily at the hands of the English, thousands of Irish left their homeland in the 19th century. These migrants typically settled in communities throughout the East Coast of North America, but also joined the wagon trains moving out to the Midwest. Ironically, when the American War of Independence began, many Irish settlers took the side of England, and at the war's conclusion moved north to Canada. These United Empire Loyalists, were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Other Irish immigrants settled in Newfoundland, the Ottawa Valley, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, however, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America and Australia. Many of those numbers, however, did not live through the long sea passage. These Irish settlers to North America were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name Ghey or a variant listed above, including: John Caughey who settled in New York in 1845; James Coffe who settled in Boston in 1754; Bridget Coffee settled in Boston in 1849; John Coffee settled in Virginia in 1637.