Monay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Monay

What does the name Monay mean?

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

Early Origins of the Monay family

The surname Monay was first found in Herefordshire where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Monay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Monay research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1600 and 1656 are included under the topic Early Monay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Monay 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 Money, Moneye, Monie and others.

Early Notables of the Monay family

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

Migration of the Monay family to Ireland

Some of the Monay 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.

Monay migration to the United States +

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 Monay name or one of its variants:

Monay Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Monay, aged 25, who arrived in Missouri in 1848 1

Monay migration to Australia +

Monay Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Michael Monay, aged 18, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1859 aboard the ship "Clara"
Patrick Monay, aged 24, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1859 aboard the ship "Clara"

Sources +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)