Show ContentsHalladay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Halladay

What does the name Halladay mean?

The roots of the name Halladay are found among the Strathclyde-Briton people of the ancient Scottish/English Borderlands. Halladay was originally found near the mountain called, Holy Day, in the county of Annandale. However, some sources claim the "name is derived from the slogan or war cry of the family 'a holy day, a holy day.' " 1 2

Early Origins of the Halladay family

The surname Halladay was first found in Annandale. "The Hallidays of Hoddom, Dumfriesshire, were an old family there, and probably gave their name to Halliday Hill in the parish of Dalton." 3

One of the first records of the family was found in 1303, when Adam de Halide was a juror on inquest at St. Andrews. A few years later, John Halyday was an archer of the East March in 1404 and Ambrose Halyday and David Halyday were merchants in Edinburgh in 1479. 3

Despite the general understanding that the family was Scottish in origin, early records in England, specifically the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, list Richard Haliday in Buckinghamshire and Gerard Haliday in Suffolk. Later, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Willelmus Haliday, Johannes Halyday, and Adam Halyday. 4 The reader should be reminded that Yorkshire's proximity to the Scottish border probably points to the aforementioned Scottish origin as the borders were extremely mercurial.

One romantic source notes: "A well-known Scottish Border Clan, who from their great animosity against the Southron are said to have adopted the war-cry or slogan of A Holy Day, (Scottice, 'a Haly Day'), because the chiefs and people of Annandale, whenever they made a raid or foray upon the Saxon border, accounted the day spent in rapine and slaughter a holy one." 5

Early History of the Halladay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Halladay research. Another 131 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1120, 1415, 1516, 1550, 1570, 1576, 1593, 1605, 1606, 1612, 1626, 1637, 1661, 1664, 1685, 1688, 1692, 1697, 1724, 1728, 1730, 1739, 1759, 1771, 1788, 1789, 1791, 1801, 1802, 1812, 1832, 1833, 1851, 1866 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Halladay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Halladay Spelling Variations

In the era before dictionaries, there were no rules governing the spelling or translation of names or any other words. Consequently, there are an enormous number of spelling variations in Medieval Scottish names. Halladay has appeared as Halliday, Haliday, Holyday, Holiday, Holliday, Halidays and many more.

Early Notables of the Halladay family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Walter Halliday (also spelled Haliday, Halyday, and Holliday), Scottish royal minstrel at the battle of Agincourt in 1415, thought to be son of the chieftain of Annandale in Dumfries, founding member of a minstrels' guild, now known as the Worshipful Company of Musicians; Barten Holyday or Holiday (1593-1661), a clergyman, author and poet, appointed Archdeacon of Oxford by King Charles I in 1626; Sir Leonard Holliday (Hollyday or Halliday) (c. 1550-1612) founder of the East India Company, and a Lord Mayor...
Another 89 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Halladay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Halladay Ranking

In the United States, the name Halladay is the 15,811st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Halladay family to Ireland

Some of the Halladay family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 451 words (32 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Halladay migration to the United States +

The freedom, opportunity, and land of the North American colonies beckoned. There, Scots found a place where they were generally free from persecution and where they could go on to become important players in the birth of new nations. Some fought in the American War of Independence, while others went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these Scottish settlers have been able to recover their lost national heritage in the last century through highland games and Clan societies in North America. Among them:

Halladay Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mary Halladay, aged 55, who immigrated to the United States from Glasgow, in 1906
  • Thomas Halladay, aged 58, who immigrated to America from Glasgow, in 1906
  • Gabriel Halladay, aged 10, who settled in America from Rochdale, England, in 1911
  • Susan Halladay, aged 27, who landed in America from Rochdale, England, in 1911

Halladay migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Halladay Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
  • Benjamin Bl. Halladay, aged 44, who settled in Toronto, Canada, in 1921

Halladay migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Halladay Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Joseph Halladay, aged 21, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Marion" 7
  • Eleanor Halladay (aged 13), a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Hooghly" 8

Halladay 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:

Halladay Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • James Halladay, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840

Contemporary Notables of the name Halladay (post 1700) +

  • Lou P. Halladay, American entrepreneur who founded the Halladay Motor Car company in 1905 in Streator, Illinois
  • Harry Leroy "Roy" and "Doc" Halladay III (1977-2017), American Major League Baseball starting pitcher, two-time Cy Young Award winner (2003, 2010); he was killed when his plane crashed into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida
  • Daniel Halladay (b. 1826), American engineer, inventor and businessman, best known for self-regulating farm wind pump
  • Robert Halladay (b. 1953), Canadian professional hockey player
  • Howard Hadden Halladay (b. 1876), Canadian farmer, politician who served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons (1917 to 1921)

Vimy Ridge
  • Henry Roy Halladay (1892-1917), Canadian student, Private in the 44th Battalion from Manitoba who died at Vimy Ridge April 1917


The Halladay 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: Quarta saluti
Motto Translation: The fourth to health.


  1. Sims, Clifford Stanley The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames. 1862. Print.
  2. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  3. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  6. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  7. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The MARION 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Marion.htm
  8. South Australian Register. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Rodney 1856. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/rodney1856.shtml


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