Mahaffee History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of Mahaffee

What does the name Mahaffee mean?

In ancient Scotland, the first people to use the name Mahaffee were part of a tribe known as the Strathclyde Britons. The name is derived from the Gaelic personal name Debshithe, which means the black man of peace.

Early Origins of the Mahaffee family

The surname Mahaffee was first found in Wigtown (Gaelic: Siorrachd Bhaile na h-Uige), formerly a county in southwestern Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Dumfries and Galloway, where they held a family seat from very early times. This distinguished Clan was originally known as the Clan MacKilhaffy and held a family seat at Craig Caffe in the parish of Inch.

Early History of the Mahaffee family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mahaffee research. Another 148 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1320 and 1540 are included under the topic Early Mahaffee History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mahaffee Spelling Variations

Prior to the first dictionaries, scribes spelled words according to sound. This, and the fact that Scottish names were repeatedly translated from Gaelic to English and back, contributed to the enormous number of spelling variations in Scottish names. Mahaffee has been spelled Mahaffy, Mehaffy, MacHaffie, Mahaffie, McHaffie, MacHaffy, McHaffy, MacGilhaffie, McGilhaffie, MacGilhaffy, McGilhaffy, MacKilhaffy, McKilhaffy, MacKilhaffie, McKilhaffie, MacIlhaffie, McIlhaffie, MacIlhaffy, McIlhaffy, MacCaffee, McCaffee, MacCaffie, McCaffie, McCaffy, MacCaffy, Milhaffie, Milhaffy, Mahalfie, Mahalfy and many more.

Early Notables of the Mahaffee family

More information is included under the topic Early Mahaffee Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Mahaffee family to Ireland

Some of the Mahaffee 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 Mahaffee family

In such difficult times, the difficulties of raising the money to cross the Atlantic to North America did not seem so large compared to the problems of keeping a family together in Scotland. It was a journey well worth the cost, since it was rewarded with land and freedom the Scots could not find at home. The American War of Independence solidified that freedom, and many of those settlers went on to play important parts in the forging of a great nation. Among them: Martin and Martha Mahaffy and their daughter Mary who settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1767; Mary Mahaffy arrived in New York state in 1847.