The western seacoast of
Scotland and the rugged
Hebrides islands made up the ancient Kingdom of Dalriada, the ancestral home of the Herdee family. Herdee is a name for a brave person. This surname is a
nickname, which belongs to the category of
hereditary surnames. Nicknames form a broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, and can refer directly or indirectly to one's personality, physical attributes, mannerisms, or even their habits of dress. The surname Herdee comes from the Old French and Old English word
hardi, which means
brave. Early Origins of the Herdee family
The surname Herdee was first found in
Lanarkshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Lannraig) a former county in the central Strathclyde region of
Scotland, now divided into the Council Areas of North
Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, and the City of Glasgow, where they held a
family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the
Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.
Early History of the Herdee family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Herdee research.
Another 187 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1643, 1797 and are included under the topic Early Herdee History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Herdee Spelling Variations
Historical recordings of the name Herdee include many
spelling variations. They include They are the result of repeated translations of the name from Gaelic to English and inconsistencies in spelling rules. Hardy, Hardie, Hardey, MacHardy and others.
Early Notables of the Herdee family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Herdee Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Herdee family to Ireland
Some of the Herdee family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 173 words (12 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Herdee family to the New World and Oceana
Numerous Scottish settlers settled along the east coast of the colonies that would become the United States and Canada. Others traveled to the open country of the west. At the time of the American
War of Independence, some remained in the United States, while those who remained loyal to the crown went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The highland games and
Clan societies that sprang up across North America in the 20th century have helped many Scots to recover parts of their lost traditions. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Herdees to arrive in North America: Elizabeth Hardey settled in Rappahannock Virginia in 1725; Robert Hardey settled in Maryland in 1774; John Hardy settled in Salem in 1630; Thomas Hardy settled in Virginia in 1642.