Cornwall, one of the original six "Celtic nations" is the homeland to the surname Smay. A revival of the Cornish language which began in the 9th century AD has begun. No doubt this was the language spoken by distant forebears of the Smay family. Though surnames became common during medieval times, English people were formerly known only by a single name. The way in which hereditary surnames were adopted in medieval England is fascinating. Many Cornish surnames appear to be topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees, many are actually habitation surnames. The name Smay is a local type of surname and the Smay family lived at the village of Smeeth, in the county of Kent.
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Early Origins of the Smay family
The surname Smay was first found in Cornwall, where they held a family seat during the Middle Ages.
Early History of the Smay family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Smay research. Another 110 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1202, 1275, 1279, 1573 and 1746 are included under the topic Early Smay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Smay Spelling Variations
Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Smeed, Smead, Smee, Smeeth, Smethe, Smeath, Smye and many more.
Early Notables of the Smay family
More information is included under the topic Early Smay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Smay family to Ireland
Some of the Smay family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 33 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Smay family
Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Smay were George Smee, who sailed to Virginia in 1665; William Smead sailed to Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1658; Mr. Smede sailed to San Francisco in 1850; George Smee moved to Mobile Alabama in 1879..
