Carlay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of Carlay

What does the name Carlay mean?

The Pictish clans of ancient Scotland were the ancestors of the first people to use the name Carlay. It comes from in Aberdeen (part of the modern Grampian region), where the name can be found since very early times.

Early Origins of the Carlay family

The surname Carlay was first found in Aberdeenshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Obar Dheathain), a historic county, and present day Council Area of Aberdeen, located in the Grampian region of northeastern Scotland, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say before the Conquest in 1066.

Early History of the Carlay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Carlay research. Another 118 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1493, 1575, 1592, 1619, 1633, 1638, 1647, 1675, 1747 and 1798 are included under the topic Early Carlay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Carlay Spelling Variations

Translation has done much to alter the appearance of many Scottish names. It was a haphazard process that lacked a basic system of rules. Spelling variations were a common result of this process. Carlay has appeared Carle, Carley, Carlley, Carrley, Carlie, Carleigh, Carlea, Carlee, Carrlie, Carlies, Carleys, Carleas, Carlay, Carley, Carrlay, Carrley, Carrleys, Karley and many more.

Early Notables of the Carlay family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Hippolitus Curle (1592-1638), Scottish Jesuit, son of Gilbert Curle, Secretary to Mary Queen of Scots, by his wife, Barbara Mowbray. "He studied in the Scotch seminary at Douay, and entered the Society of Jesus at Tournai. During the second year of his noviceship his aunt, Elizabeth Curle, died at Antwerp (29 March 1619), leaving him sixty thousand florins. The bulk of this fortune he devoted to the use of the seminary at Douay, of which he is...
Another 84 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Carlay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Carlay family to Ireland

Some of the Carlay family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Carlay family

Many Scots left their country to travel to the North American colonies in search of the freedom they could not find at home. Of those who survived the difficult voyage, many found the freedom they so desired. There they could choose their own beliefs and allegiances. Some became United Empire Loyalists and others fought in the American War of Independence. The Clan societies and highland games that have sprung up in the last century have allowed many of these disparate Scots to recover their collective national identity. A search of immigration and passenger ship lists revealed many early settlers bearing the Carlay name: Elizabeth Carle who settled in Barbados in 1669; George Carle settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1751; Michael Carle settled in 1736 in Philadelphia.