Genealogy Chat

Dorothy - this is not a Trying to Find thread, it's a surname origins thread - best put yours on Trying to Find - it will get lost in amongst this thread

Ann X

check before you ask - Hogan and Keane/Caine have been done I'm pretty sure - trawl back through

Ann

Surname: Ruane
This notable Irish surname is an Anglicized form of the Old Gaelic "O'Ruadhain", which translates as "the descendant of the red one". It is not proven whether "Ruadhan" (red) refers to complexion or hair, or to some notable event relating to the prowess of a warrior, but either way it is a descriptive nickname from the pre-medieval period. The clan originated in the two ancient areas known as Ui Maine and Ui Fiachrach, in Counties Mayo and Galway respectively, and even today, with some exceptions, these remain the principle places associated with Ruane. The 16th Century Elizabethan land Registers and the 1659 Petty's "census" of Ireland give the then spelling as mainly "O'Rowane" and "O'Rowghan", although there are many forms including O'Rowan, Rown, Roan and Rowan. An early example was Morietagh O'Rowane of Ballinvalle, County Wexford, who received a royal pardon on June 10th 1584; he was described as a "Gentleman". The O'Rowans of County Mayo were also described as "persons of property" in 1659, although this description would probably not have been given to Timothy Ruane, aged 22 yrs., of County Galway, who was one of the famine emigrants leaving on the ship "Barlow" of Liverpool, bound for New York in April 1847. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Felix O'Ruadhain, Archbishop of Tuam, County Galway, which was dated 1215, in the "Register of the Irish Prelates in the Vatican", Rome, during the reign of King John of England, known as "Lackland", 1199 - 1216. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Surname: Campion
This interesting name, with variant spellings Campion, Campione, Champion, Champain and Championnet, has two distinct possible origins, the first and most likely being an occupational name for a professional Champion, deriving from the Old Norman-French "campiun" or "campion" (Old French "champiun"), a champion or professional fighter employed to represent one of the parties to a suit in a trial by combat. (In an ordeal by battle the accuser and the accused took the field themselves). The surname is believed to have been introduced into England by followers of William the Conqueror after the Norman Invasion of 1066. Early recordings of the surname include: Herbert Campion (Hampshire, 1148); Geoffrey Champiun (Northamptonshire, 1154); Roger le Campion (Oxfordshire, 1197); and William le Champiun (Suffolk, 1220). The second possibility is that the name is locational from a place in Picardy (Northern France), called Compiegne. A family of the name in Witham, Essex, claim descent from the noble recorded below who accompanied Robert 11, Duke of Normandy, on the First Crusade. One member of this family was Edmund Campion (1540 - 1581), the Jesuit Martyr. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Nicole de Campion, which was dated 1096 - 1099, in "Records of the First Crusade", during the reign of King William 11, known as "Rufus", 1087 - 1100. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Surname: Conway
This interesting surname has at least four possible different ational origins, and is almost certainly, for most nameholders, not what its seems. That it is often locational is unarguable, but it is not usually, as is generally believed from the town of Conwy on the north coast of Wales. The first recording from that source is in 1406, one hundred and fifty years after the first 'English' recording, see below. However in a sense the nameholders of English and Welsh origins do have a shared ancestry in that they both derive from the Olde English pre 7th century 'Cam yea' meaning crooked river, various streams being so named in the English West Country in medieval times. The Scottish name holders probably derive from the hamlet of Conway in the parish of Beautly. This place was recorded as "Coneway" in the 1215 rolls. In this case the name is a claimed anglicisation of the Gaelic "Coinmheadh" which translates as "free quarter", implying a district in which troops were billeted on the local inhabitants. This is an interesting observation, although its accuracy must be open to doubt. It was the normal practise to billet troops by 'free quarter' at anytime. In Ireland "Conway" is often an anglicized form of several Irish names, such as Mac Connmhaigh, a byname meaning "Head Smasher"(!) or Mac Connbhuidhe, - the "Yellow Hound", another interesting nickname. The (Mac) Conway sept belonged to counties Clare, Limerick and Tipperary. In 1360, the Annals of the Four Masters record the death of one Gillangnaer O' Connmhaigh. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John de Conweye. which was dated 1268, in the "Chartulary of Glastonbury", Somerset. during the reign of King Henry 111, known as "The Frenchman", 1216 - 1272. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Surname: Reilly
This famous clan surname is Irish. The twelth most numerous name in Ireland, it originates from Raghailligh, the grandson of Conchobhar, king of Connacht in the 10th century, and founder of the clan O'Connor. As such the O'Reillys are kinsmen of the O'Connor's. Traditionally, Irish family names are taken from the heads of tribes or as in this case from some illustrious warrior. They are usually prefixed by O' meaning grandson or male descendant of, or Mac denoting "son of". The O'Reilly territory was around Lough Oughter in County Cavan and as they increased their strength, they extended their territory to County Westmeath and Longford. The Franciscan Abbey of Cavan was founded by Giolla Iosa O'Reilly, and over the centuries there have been no less than thirty nine O'Reilly abbots, whilst five have been as Archbishops of Armagh, primates of All Ireland. The celebrated Count Alexander O'Reilly from County Meath distinguished himself first in the Austrian service and then in the Spanish army, and finally as Governor of the French colony of Louisiana where he died in 1797. The O'Reillys have a reputation as astute financiers. In the 15th Century, they devised their own coinage, and a "Reilly" came to signify a coin of useful value. The Coat of Arms most associated with the family is a green shield with two gold lions rampant combatant, supporting a dexter hand couped at the wrist erect and apaumee bloody proper. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Cathal O'Reilly, Prince of Breffny, which was dated 1237, in the records of Lough Oughter Monastery, County Cavan.

Surname: Tulley
This is an Anglo-Irish surname recorded in various spellings. It has two possible origins. If Irish it derives from the pre 10th century Old Gaelic names "O'Taithlagh", composed of the prefix "O", meaning male descendant of, and "taithleach", quiet or peaceful; or "O' Maol Tuile", including "maol", meaning follower of, and "Tuile", representing St. Tuile, and hence the translation of "the follower of St. Tuile". The surnames Flood, Tully, Tulley and MacAtilla all derive their origin from this source. The Tull(e)y sept were hereditary physicians to the chiefs of the O'Connor and O'Reilly clans, and legend has it that one Teag MacTully was present at the inauguration of Cathal O'Connor, the last King of Connacht in 1170. Tullystown near Granard is associated with the Breffny branch of the family. The second possible origin which certainly applies in England, is Norse-Viking, from the pre 7th century personal name "Toli". This spelling is recorded in the Domesday Book of London in the year 1086. Early examples of the surname recording include Peter Toli in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1155, and later from the registers of the diocese of the city of London, Hanna Tulley who married Thomas Dikes on September 18th 1662 at St. James church, Clerkenwell. A coat of arms granted to Tully has the blazon of Vert, a chevron between three silver wolves' heads, argent. The first recorded spelling of the family name is believed to be that of Richard Toly. This was dated 1150, in the Chartulary of the Priory of St. Thomas, the Martyr, Stafford, during the reign of King Stephen of England, 1135 - 1154. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Surname: Cawley
This name, with variant spellings Cowley and Kewley, has two distinct possible origins, the first being a dialectal variant of the placename Cowley found in Buckinghamshire, Devonshire, Oxfordshire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Lancashire, Cloucestershire and Middlesex. The second element of the name i.e. "ley" derives, in all cases, from the Old English pre 7th Century "leah", a wood or clearing, and the first element "cow" may be either the Old English "cufl", a log or stump; "cu", a cow; or "col", charcoal. Early recordings of the surname from locational sources include Osbert de Couela, (Oxfordshire, 1167) and William de Colley, (Derbyshire, 1327). The second possibility is that the name is a Manx contraction of the Gaelic (Scots and Irish) MacAuley, itself coming from the Old Gaelic personal byname "Amhalghaidy" meaning "like unto a willow withe", or from MacAmhlaibh i.e. "son of Amlaib", from the Norse personal name "Anleif" meaning "god-relic". The names Cowley, Cawley and Kewley are particularly widespread in the Isle of Man, Cheshire and Lancashire. A famous Cawley was William Cawley (1602-1667), founder of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, Chichester, 1626, and one of the judges of King Charles 1. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William Cawley, (christening), which was dated March 3rd 1571, St. John the Baptist, Chester, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, "Good Queen Bess", 1558 - 1603. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling

Surname: Clinton
This is an interesting habitational name that originates either from Glympton in Oxfordshire, named as 'settlement on the river Glyme' or from Glinton in Northants, which was recorded in 1060 in Northants as Clinton, and derives from the middle low German word 'glinde', an enclosure or fence, and the Olde English pre 7th Century 'tun', a settlement, thus a fenced village. The change from the initial 'G' to 'C' is common in nomenclature. A family of this name who have been Earls of Lincolnshire and Dukes of Newcastle held lands at Glympton Oxon, and their founder Geoffrey de Clinton was Chamberlain and Treasurer to King Henry I. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Geoffrey de Clinton, which was dated 1130 Records held at Gympton, Oxon, during the reign of King Henry I, The Lion of Justice, 1100 - 1135. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Surname: Hart
Recorded in many spellings including Hart, Harte, Heart, Hart and Hartman (English), and Hart and Hartmann (German), de Herte (Flemish & Dutch), Hiorth and Hjorth (Swedish), this interesting surname was usually a nickname. It is medieval, and a good example of that sizeable group of early European surnames that were gradually created from the habitual use of nicknames. The nicknames were given with reference to physical attributes and sometimes supposed resemblance to an animal's appearance or disposition. In this case the derivation is from pre 7th century word "heorot", and as a nickname this would have been given to a fast runner, or perhaps, given the robust humour of those times, the complete reverse! Where the suffix -man(n) is used, this suggests that the name was occupational, and may mean the friend or servant of Hart. In England where the earliest of all surname recordings are to be found one Roger Hert appears in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in the year 1166, and Simon le Hert is noted in the tax rolls known as the 'Feet of Fines' for the county of Kent in 1194. In some cases the surname may be of Irish origin, and is derived from the Gaelic O' hAirt, composed of the elements O', meaning male descendant of, and "Art", a byname meaning hero. One of the earliest settlers in the New World was John Hart, who embarqued from the Port of London, aboard the ship "Phillip", bound for Virginia in June 1635. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Aelfric Hort, which was dated circa 1060, in the "Olde English Byname Register", Hampshire, during the reign of King Edward, known as "The Confessor", 1040 - 1066. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

http://www.surnamedb.com/surname.aspx?name

if you use this site you'll get what I have posted - it is the best site that I have found

Surname WARD

Hello Teresa,
I have a Matilda McKee from Ireland. I would be interested what you could find.

Please let me know

Kind regards,

Tracey Bell

Tracey

I've searched for McKee on here as it's much quicker than searching through my book.

http://www.surnamedb.com/surname.aspx?name

McKee.
This interesting surname is a form of the early Gaelic (Scottish and Irish) patronymic "Mac Aodh". The personal name "Aodh" meaning "fire" was originally the name of a pagan god, but this does not seem to have halted the popularity of this surname. In the modern idiom Mac Aodh has at least fifteen spelling forms including McKay, McKee, Kee, McCay, McCoy, McEa, and McAy.

The form MacKee is widespread in North East Ulster, and especially in Counties Antrim, Down and Armagh, with the short form as Kee being most numerous in County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. Early examples of the surname recordings include George McKe of Myretoun was mentioned in the Register of the Privy Seal, for Scotland, in 1538, and Sir Patrick MacKee who was a prominent County Donegal "servitor" at the Plantation of Ulster in 1641. Other later examples include on April 24th 1845, Robert Kee and Anne Jane Wilson who were married at Raphoe, County Donegal, whilst on May 17th 1847, James Kee, a famine emigrant, embarked from Belfast on the ship "Pontiac" bound for New York. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Cucail Mac Aedha. This was dated 1098, in the Manx Names listing, by Moore, during the reign of Cathal Craobhdhearg (Red Hand), High King of Ireland, 1198 - 1224.

Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.


If you are looking for Matilda McKee try the IGI records on the LDS website.

http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp

The IGI records are by no means complete but you might find something.

There are 52 records for the name Matilda McKee, various spellings.

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Surname: Ward
This is one of the great surnames of Britain. Deriving from the pre 1066 Norman era, it has two quite distinct origins, one Olde English and the other Gaelic. The 'English' nameholders themselves have two possible derivations, the first being occupational for a civil guard or keeper of the watch and the second topographical, and describing one who lived by a 'werd' - a marsh. Certainly there can be no doubt that Walter de la Warde recorded in the 1273 Hundred Rolls of Suffolk lived by a fen, whilst equally Robert le Warde in the Oxfordshire Rolls for the same year of 1273, was a guard. The original coat of arms was born by Sir John Warde of Surrey, at the siege of Calais in 1345. This had the blazon of a blue field charged with a gold cross flory, and is one of the most ancient of all 'arms' on record. The Irish Ward's prominent in Galway and Donegal are claimed to derive their name from the Old Gaelic 'Mac an Bhaird', translating as 'the Son of the Bard'. Certainly Maelisa Macaward was bishop of Clonfert, County Galway, in 1179, although the clergy were supposed to be celebrate! In Scotland John de Warde was recorded as being a tenant of the Earl of Douglas in 1376. The surname was also one of the first into the new American Colonies, John Ward of 'Elizabeth Cittie, Virginia' being a recorded as head of his 'muster' on February 24th 1624. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William de la Warda, which was dated 1176, in the 'Pipe Rolls of Leicestershire', during the reign of King Henry 11, known as 'the church builder', 1154 - 1189. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Matilda Ann MCKEE (AFN: 17B1-RGJ) Pedigree
Sex: F Family


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Event(s)
Birth: 1850

Death: 1929

Burial:
Cartwright

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Parents

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Marriage(s)
Spouse: William Alexander MCQUADE (AFN: 17B1-RFB) Family
Marriage: 1 Nov 1876
Cartwright, Anglican

Matilda McKee Pedigree
Female Family


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Event(s):
Birth: Of, Larne, Antrim, Ireland

Christening:
Death:
Burial:


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Marriages:
Spouse: William Woodside Family
Marriage: Larne-Inver Parish, Larne, Antrim, Ireland

Matilda McKee Pedigree
Female


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Event(s):
Birth: 1820 , , Ireland

Christening:
Death: 31 JAN 1910 Teeswater, Bruce, Ontario

Burial:


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Parents:
Father: James McKee Family

Matilda M'KEE Compact Disc #65 Pin #39388 Pedigree
Sex: F

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Event(s)
Birth: abt 1810

of Portaferry, Down, N Ireland
Death: bef 1818

of Portaferry, Down, N Ireland
Burial: bef 1818

Ballyphilip Graveyard, Portaferry, Down, N Ireland

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Parents
Father: Hugh M'KEE Watchmaker Disc #65 Pin #39390
Mother: Elizabeth BELL Disc #65 Pin #39389

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Notes and Sources
Notes: Available on CD-ROM Disc# 65
Sources: None

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Submitter
Joyce PARSONS
3923 Pharaoh Circle, Murray, UT, 84123, United States of America

KENNY.
Any information on Kenny,my family name.My father was born County Meath,Ireland.