Willay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of Willay

What does the name Willay mean?

The Clan from whom the Willay family descends began among the ancient Dalriadan kingdom of the west coast of Scotland. Their name comes from the personal name William. The Gaelic form of the surname is Mac Uilleim, which means son of William.

Early Origins of the Willay family

The surname Willay was first found in on the Isle of Harris, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Scotland.

Early History of the Willay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Willay research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1187, 1215, 1613 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Willay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Willay Spelling Variations

Historical recordings of the name Willay include many spelling variations. They are the result of repeated translations of the name from Gaelic to English and inconsistencies in spelling rules. They include MacWilliam, MacQuilliam, MacKilliam, MacWilliams, MacKullie, MacCullie, MacWillie and many more.

Early Notables of the Willay family

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

Migration of the Willay family to Ireland

Some of the Willay family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 69 words (5 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 Willay family

Significant portions of the populations of both the United States and Canada are still made up of the ancestors of Dalriadan families. Some of those in Canada originally settled the United States, but went north as United Empire Loyalists in the American War of Independence. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the ancestors of many Scots on both sides of the border begin to recover their collective national heritage through Clan societies and highland games. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Archibald McWilliam settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1773; Alexander, Charles, Daniel, Edward, Felix, Henry, Hugh, James, John, Michael, Patrick, Richard, Thomas and William McWilliam all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860..