Show ContentsHealy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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  • Ireland
Healy Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Healy

What does the name Healy mean?

While many Irish names are quite familiar to us, their original Gaelic forms are often forgotten and mysterious. The original Gaelic form of the name Healy is Ó hEalaighthe, which is derived from the word "ealadhach," which means "ingenious." Another Gaelic form of the surname is Ó hEilidhe, which is derived from the word "eilidhe," which means "claimant." 1

Early Origins of the Healy family

The surname Healy was first found in County Sligo (Irish: Sligeach), in the province of Connacht in Northwestern Ireland, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Healy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Healy research. Another 161 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1309, 1579, 1656, 1690, 1695, 1701, 1724, 1741, 1794 and 1800 are included under the topic Early Healy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Healy Spelling Variations

Throughout the early history of this name, spellings of the surname in various records changed frequently largely due to the recorder's interpretation of how the name sounded at the time of the entry. Spelling variations revealed in the search for the origin of the Healy family name include Haly, Haley, Haily, Hely, Healy, Healey, O'Healey, O'Haly and many more.

Early Notables of the Healy family

  • Patrick O'Healy, was a Franciscan Bishop of Mayo, tortured and martyred in 1579; Sir John Hely (died 1701), was an English-born, Irish judge, Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer in 1690 and later Chief...

Healy World Ranking

In the United Kingdom, the name Healy is the 969th most popular surname with an estimated 7,191 people with that name. 2 However, in Australia, the name Healy is ranked the 521st most popular surname with an estimated 7,378 people with that name. 3 And in New Zealand, the name Healy is the 838th popular surname with an estimated 868 people with that name. 4 The United States ranks Healy as 1,735th with 17,409 people. 5

Healy migration to Australia +

Healy Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Elizabeth Healy, (b. 1795), aged 19, Irish servant who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Francis and Eliza" on 15th December 1814, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
  • Mr. Patrick Healy, (b. 1794), aged 28, Irish ploughman who was convicted in Kidare, Ireland for life, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 3rd September 1822, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
  • Thomas Healy, a butcher, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832
  • Mr. John Healy, (b. 1790), aged 40, Irish ploughman who was convicted in County Cork, Ireland for life for manslaughter, transported aboard the "Forth" on 1st January 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1835 8
  • Mr. Jerry Healy, (b. 1828), aged 16, Irish labourer who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for pick pocketing, transported aboard the "Cadet" on 9th April 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Healy migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Healy Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Francis Healy, aged 39, a surgeon, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duke of Roxburgh" in 1840 10
  • John Francis Healy, aged 10, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duke of Roxburgh" in 1840 10
  • Catherine Bedelia F. Healy, aged 9, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duke of Roxburgh" in 1840 10
  • Francis Healy, aged 8, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duke of Roxburgh" in 1840 10
  • Michael Healy, aged under 1, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duke of Roxburgh" in 1840 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Healy migration to Canada +

Healy Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Patrick Healy, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1822
  • Margaret Healy, aged 5, who landed in Canada in 1823
  • Mary Healy, aged 20, who arrived in Canada in 1823
  • Pat Healy, aged 40, who landed in Canada in 1823
  • Denis Healy, aged 18, who landed in Canada in 1823
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Healy migration to the United States +



Healy Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Dennis Healy, aged 29, who landed in New York in 1800 11
  • Farrell Healy, who arrived in Newport, Rhode Island in 1811 11
  • Paul Healy, aged 35, who landed in New York in 1812 11
  • Jarnes Healy, who landed in America in 1812 11
  • Elizabeth Healy, who landed in Massachusetts in 1813 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Healy Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Michael F Healy, who arrived in Arkansas in 1903 11

Contemporary Notables of the name Healy (post 1700) +

  • Shay Healy (1943-2021), Irish songwriter, broadcaster and journalist. He is best known for his role as host of Nighthawks, a RTÉ Television chat show of the late 1980s
  • Cian Healy (b. 1987), Irish rugby union footballer
  • Dermot Healy (1947-2014), Irish novelist, playwright, and poet winner of the Hennessy Award, the Tom Gallon Award, and the Encore Award
  • Seamus Healy (b. 1950), Irish independent politician, who was a Teachta Dala (TD) for Tipperary South (2000- 2007)
  • Cahir Healy (1877-1970), Irish politician
  • Timothy Michael Healy (1855-1931), Irish statesman, first governor-general of the Irish Free State (1922-1927)
  • Father Hames Healy (1824-1894), Irish humorist
  • Don Healy (1841-1918), Irish Archbishop of Tuam, author of "Insula sanctorum"
  • Colin Healy (b. 1980), Irish footballer
  • ... (Another 14 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. Thomas Healy (1922-1942), English Stoker 1st Class from England, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales and survived the sinking, was listed as missing and presumed killed during the evacuation of Singapore 1942 12
  • Miss Hanora Healy, (Nora), aged 29, Irish Third Class passenger from Athenry, Galway who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and survived in the sinking in life boat 16 13
  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
  2. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  3. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  4. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/forth
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cadet/
  10. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 5th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  11. 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)
  12. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
  13. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html

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