Namee History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Early Origins of the Namee family

Early History of the Namee family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Namee research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Namee History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Namee Spelling Variations

A name was often recorded during the Middle Ages under several different spelling variations during the life of its bearer because literacy was rare there was no real push to clearly define any of the languages found in the British Isles at that time. Variations found of the name Namee include McNamee, McNanamy, McNammee, McName, McNanny and others.

Early Notables of the Namee family

Prominent amongst the family at this time was

• McNamee of Tyrone

Migration of the Namee family

In the 19th century, thousands of Irish left their English-occupied homeland for North America. Like most new world settlers, the Irish initially settled on the eastern shores of the continent but began to move westward with the promise of owning land. The height of this Irish migration came during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. With apparently nothing to lose, Irish people left on ships bound for North America and Australia. Unfortunately a great many of these passengers lost their lives - the only thing many had left - to disease, starvation, and accidents during the long and dangerous journey. Those who did safely arrive in "the land of opportunities" were often used for the hard labor of building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. The Irish were critical to the quick development of the infrastructure of the United States and Canada. Passenger and immigration lists indicate that members of the Namee family came to North America quite early: John McName arrived in Philadelphia in 1838; Bernard, Charles, Francis, Hugh, James, John, Michael, Patrick, Thomas, McNamee all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860.