Show ContentsLabey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Of all the French names to come from Normandy, Labey is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived in Normandy. Their name, however, indicates that the original bearer lived at or near an abbey. The word occurs in contraction with the article, le, meaning the, and thus appears Labbey.

Early Origins of the Labey family

The surname Labey was first found in Normandy (French: Normandie), the former Duchy of Normandy, where the family has been traced from ancient times.

Early History of the Labey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Labey research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1350, 1526, 1566, 1607, 1610, 1650, 1662, 1667, 1669 and 1674 are included under the topic Early Labey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Labey Spelling Variations

French surnames were subject to numerous alterations in spelling because of the various cultural groups that inhabited specific regions. Eventually, each region possessed its own local dialect of the French language. The early development of the French language, however, was also influenced by other languages. For example, Old French was infused with Germanic words and sounds when barbarian tribes invaded and settled in France after the fall of the Roman Empire. Middle French also borrowed heavily from the Italian language during the Renaissance. As a result of these linguistic and cultural influences, the name Labey is distinguished by a number of regional variations. The many spelling variations of the name include Labbey, Labey, Labbé, L'Abbey, Labbie, Labie, L'Abbie, Labbee, Labee, L'Abbé, L'Abbée, Labbay, Labay, Labbai, Labai, Labaie, Labbais, Labadie, Labais, de Labbey, de Labey, de Labbay, de Labay, L'Abbaye, de l'Abbaye, Labaye, Labbaye, de Labbai, de Labai, de Labbais, de Labais, de la Bey, de la Bay and many more.

Early Notables of the Labey family

Notable amongst the family in this period was Louise Labbe, poet; and Philippe Labbe (1607-1667), a French Jesuit writer on historical, geographical and philological questions. Jean de Labadie (1610-1674) was a French...
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Labey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Labey family

In 1643, 109 years after the first landings by Cartier, there were only about 300 people in Quebec. Migration was slow. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the French Acadian presence in the Maritimes had reached 500. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The family name Labey has made many distinguished contributions in France and New France to the world of science, culture, religion, and education. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Labey were Ephraim LaBay, who settled in Philadelphia in 1860; J. B. Labaye settled in New Orleans in 1822; Pierre Labbe settled in Louisiana in 1752; Joseph Labbe settled in Charles Town, South Carolina, in 1763-64..



The Labey 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: Sine labe
Motto Translation: Without wavering


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