Show ContentsMacCorbay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the MacCorbay family

The surname MacCorbay was first found in Cumberland, where "Alexander Corbie was retoured heir of Alexander Corbie, his father, in four sixteen parts of the lands of Luthrie, 1615 (Retours, Fife, 255). John Corbie, messenger in New Milne in 1676, and seven more of the name are recorded in the Kirkcudbright Commissariot Record in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries." 1

"Corbey is the Norman-French pronunciation of Corbet or Corbett." 2

Early History of the MacCorbay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacCorbay research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1558, 1598, 1604, 1615, 1637, 1644 and 1649 are included under the topic Early MacCorbay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacCorbay Spelling Variations

In the era before dictionaries, there were no rules governing the spelling or translation of names or any other words. Consequently, there are an enormous number of spelling variations in Medieval Scottish names. MacCorbay has appeared as Corby, Corbie and others.

Early Notables of the MacCorbay family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Gerard Corbie or Corbington (1558-1637), a Catholic exile, "a native of the county of Durham. He was a severe sufferer for his profession of the catholic faith, being compelled frequently to cross to Ireland, and ultimately he became a voluntary exile with his family in Belgium."...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early MacCorbay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the MacCorbay family to Ireland

Some of the MacCorbay family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the MacCorbay family

The freedom, opportunity, and land of the North American colonies beckoned. There, Scots found a place where they were generally free from persecution and where they could go on to become important players in the birth of new nations. Some fought in the American War of Independence, while others went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these Scottish settlers have been able to recover their lost national heritage in the last century through highland games and Clan societies in North America. Among them: Benjamine Corby who settled in Maryland in 1775; Thomas and William settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1799 and 1846; respectively.



  1. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  2. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)


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