Greevey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Early Origins of the Greevey family

Early History of the Greevey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Greevey research. Another 148 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1376, 1638 and 1640 are included under the topic Early Greevey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Greevey Spelling Variations

Many different spelling variations of the surname Greevey exist in the archives researched. Ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in a single person being recorded under several different spellings. Different spellings that were found include Gilroy, Kilroy, MacGilroy, MacElroy, MacGreevy, Greevy, MacGilrea, McGilroy, McElroy, McGreevy, McGilrea, MacIlrea, McIlrea, Magilroy, Magilrea, MacElry, McElry, MacIlree and many more.

Early Notables of the Greevey family

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

Migration of the Greevey family

During the middle of the 19th century, Irish families often experienced extreme poverty and racial discrimination in their own homeland under English rule. Record numbers died of disease and starvation, and many others, deciding against such a fate, boarded ships bound for North America. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Unfortunately, many of those Irish that arrived in Canada or the United States still experienced economic and racial discrimination. Although often maligned, these Irish people were essential to the rapid development of these countries because they provided the cheap labor required for the many canals, roads, railways, and other projects required for strong national infrastructures. Eventually the Irish went on to make contributions in the less backbreaking and more intellectual arenas of commerce, education, and the arts. Research early immigration and passenger lists revealed many early immigrants bearing the name Greevey: John MacElroy, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1798; and James Gilroy, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1864; they also settled in Massachusetts, New York, and California between 1765 and 1854. The Kilroys also settled in the above states between the same periods. The 1984 edition of the ".