Golway History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland
• Scotland
• England

Etymology of Golway

When the Anglo-Normans began to settle in Ireland, they brought the tradition of local surnames to an island which already had a Gaelic naming system of hereditary surnames established. Unlike the Irish, the Anglo-Normans had an affinity for local surnames. Local surnames, such as Golway, were formed from the names of a place or a geographical landmark where the person lived, held land, or was born. The earliest Anglo-Norman surnames of this type came from Normandy, but as the Normans moved, they created names that referred to where they actually resided. Therefore, English places were used for names when the Normans lived in England, and then Irish places after these particular Anglo-Normans had been settled in Ireland for some time. Originally, these place names were prefixed by de, which means from in French. However, this type of prefix was eventually either made a part of the surname, if the place name began with a vowel, or it was eliminated entirely. The Golway family originally lived in either of two places. The Golway family of Ulster derives its name from the region of Galloway in southern Scotland, which lies nearby. However, the southern Golway family probably derives its surname from the city or county of Galway in Ireland.

Early Origins of the Golway family

Early History of the Golway family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Golway research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1361 and 1430 are included under the topic Early Golway History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Golway Spelling Variations

Church officials and medieval scribes often spelled early surnames as they sounded. This practice often resulted in many spelling variations of even a single name. Early versions of the name Golway included: Galwey, Galswey, Galway, Gallway, Gallwey and many more.

Early Notables of the Golway family

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

Migration of the Golway family

Ireland went through one of the most devastating periods in its history with the arrival of the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s. Many also lost their lives from typhus, fever and dysentery. And poverty was the general rule as tenant farmers were often evicted because they could not pay the high rents. Emigration to North America gave hundreds of families a chance at a life where work, freedom, and land ownership were all possible. For those who made the long journey, it meant hope and survival. The Irish emigration to British North America and the United States opened up the gates of industry, commerce, education and the arts. Early immigration and passenger lists have shown many Irish people bearing the name Golway: James Galway who settled in New York State in 1803; another two James Galways settled in Pennsylvania, one in 1773 and one in 1846.