MacVey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of MacVey

What does the name MacVey mean?

The name is derived from the Irish Gaelic "Mac an Bheatha," and a bearer of Mac Beatha is mentioned in the Annals as taking part in the battle of Clontarf in 1014.

Early Origins of the MacVey family

The surname MacVey was first found in Connacht (Irish: Connachta, (land of the) descendants of Conn), where they held a family seat from ancient times. Today the name is numerous in north-east Ulster but back in the 17th century it was mainly recorded in Antrim, Armagh and Donegal as McVagh, McVaugh and McEvagh. 1

Early History of the MacVey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacVey research. Another 44 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1541 and 1798 are included under the topic Early MacVey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacVey Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: McVeigh, McVeagh, McVey, McVeigh, Mcvagh, MacVaugh, McEvagh and many more.

Early Notables of the MacVey family

Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early MacVey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacVey migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

MacVey Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Jeffrey Macvey, who arrived in Maryland in 1674 2

Contemporary Notables of the name MacVey (post 1700) +

John W. MacVey, British author, best known for his books Time Travel: a guide to journey in the forth dimension (1990) Whispers from Space (1973), Journey to Alpha Centauri (1965) and Alone in the Universe? (1963)
MacVey Napier (1776-1847), Scottish editor of the Edinburgh Review, from Kirkintilloch, Dumbartonshire

The MacVey Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Per ardua
Motto Translation: Through adversity.

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, More Irish Families. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-0126-0)
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)