Show ContentsHychie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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 Hychie is Ó hIcidhe, originally derived from the word "iceadh," which refers to a "physician" or "healer." 1

Early Origins of the Hychie family

The surname Hychie 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 Hychie family

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

Hychie Spelling Variations

Within archives, many different spelling variations exist for the surname Hychie. Ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in the name of the single person being recorded under several different spellings. Different spellings that were found include Hickey, Hickie, O'Hickey, O'Hickie, Hicky and others.

Early Notables of the Hychie family

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 Hychie Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hychie family

Irish families began leaving their homeland for North America in the late 18th century. These families were usually modestly well off, but they were looking forward to owning and working on a sizable tract of land of their own. This pattern of emigration continued until the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine sparked a major exodus of destitute and desperate Irish people. These people were not leaving for a grant of land in North America because by this time the East Coast had reached its saturation point and free land was scarce. They were merely looking to escape the disease, starvation, and hopelessness that Ireland had fallen into. Although these unfortunate immigrants did not receive a warm welcome by the established populations in the United States and what would become Canada, they were absolutely critical to the rapid development that these two nations enjoyed. They would help populate the western lands and provide the cheap labor required for a rapid industrialization. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many early bearers of the name Hychie 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 Hychie 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.


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)


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