Mirray History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Mirray reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Mirray family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Mirray family lived in Norfolk. Their name, however, is a reference to the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Meret, Normandy.

Early Origins of the Mirray family

The surname Mirray was first found in Norfolk. However, some of the family were found at Stow-Maries in Essex. "This parish takes the adjunct to its name from the family of Marey, to whom the lands at one time belonged." 1

Early History of the Mirray family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mirray research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1605, 1660 and 1682 are included under the topic Early Mirray History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mirray Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Merry, Mirrey, Merrie, Mirrie and others.

Early Notables of the Mirray family

Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mirray Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Mirray family to Ireland

Some of the Mirray family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Mirray family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Mirray name or one of its variants: Savage Merrie settled in Virginia in 1637; John Merrie settled in St. Christopher in 1633; John Merry later moved to Virginia in 1643; Thomas Merry settled in Virginia in 1654.