Hichy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

While many Irish names are familiar, their past incarnations are often shrouded in mystery, reflecting the ancient Gaelic heritage of their bearers. The original Gaelic form of the name Hichy is O hIcidhe, originally derived from the word "iceadh," which refers to a "physician" or "healer."

Early Origins of the Hichy family

The surname Hichy was first found in County Clare (Irish: An Clár) located on the west coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the Hichy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hichy research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1014, 1641 and 1641 are included under the topic Early Hichy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hichy Spelling Variations

The recording of names in Ireland in the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. The standardized literary languages of today were not yet reached and the spelling of surnames often changed through a bearer's lifetime. Research into the name Hichy revealed spelling variations, including Hickey, Hickie, O'Hickey, O'Hickie, Hicky and others.

Early Notables of the Hichy family (pre 1700)

Notable among the family name at this time was Antony Hickey (d. 1641), Irish theologian who belonged to the Irish family of h-Icidhe, of co. Clare, many members of which practised medicine during some generations. "Hickey projected publications on the history and hagiography of Ireland, for which his acquirements and...
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hichy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hichy family

In the 18th and 19th centuries hundreds of thousands of Irish people immigrated to North American shores. The early settlers were enticed by the promise of their own land, but they were moderately well off in Ireland when they decided to emigrate. Therefore, they were merely carrying out a long and carefully thought out decision. The 1840s saw the emergence of a very different trend: thousands of extremely desperate people crammed into passenger boats hoping to find any type of opportunity. The Irish of this decade had seen their homeland severely stricken by crop failures which resulted in widespread disease and starvation. At whatever time the Irish immigrants came to North America, they were instrumental in the rapid development of the emerging nations of the United States and what would become known as Canada. An exhaustive search of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many persons bearing the name Hichy, or one of its variants: James Hickey settled in Boston in 1768; Catharine Hickey settled in Pennsylvania in 1772; Daniel, Denis, Edward, James, John, Lawrence, Michael, Patrick, Thomas, and William Hickey arrived in Pennsylvania between 1840 and 1855. In Newfoundland, William Hickey settled in St. John's in 1755.

The Hichy 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: Honor virtutis praemium
Motto Translation: Honor is the reward of virtue.