ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 3038
http://www.s-gabriel.org/3038
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4 Apr 2005
From: Aryanhwy merch Catmael (no address)

Greetings from the Academy of S. Gabriel!

You wanted to know if <Quay> is an appropriate surname for a Scottish
man living any time before 1600.  Here is the information we have found.

Starting in the late 14th century, there were two main languages
spoken in Scotland: Gaelic, spoken in the Highlands and Western Isles;
and Scots, spoken in the Lowlands, including the royal court and
towns. Gaelic was the same language spoken in Ireland at this time;
Scots was closely related to contemporary English. Names were formed
quite differently in the two languages, and the two styles of naming
did not mix. Therefore, the culture you choose for your persona will
determine how your name should be constructed.

The modern surname <Quay> is a shortening of the modern Scots surname
<Mac Quay> or <Mac Quey>. [1,2]  This Scots surname is found as
<M'Qha> and <McQui> in 1684; these are the earliest instances that we
have found in Scotland. [2]  In English records from late-16th,
early-17th century Ireland, it is found as <M'Ee> and <M'Eye>. [3] 
All of these derive from the Gaelic byname <mac Aodha> or <mac Aoidh>
'son of Aodh'. [2]  The bynames <mac Aodha> and <mac Aoidh> were
pronounced roughly \mahk AY-@\ and \mahk EE\, where \@\ is the sound
of <a> in <soda> or <about>. [4]

Where to go from here depends on what interests you more: An Irish
name recorded in English using <M'Ee> or <M'Eye>, or a Gaelic name
using <mac Aoidh> or <mac Aodha>.

If the latter interests you, we recommend the following article:

  "Quick and Easy Gaelic Names"
  http://www.medievalscotland.org/scotnames/quickgaelicbynames/

This will tell you everything you need to know about basic Gaelic name
constructions.  For the 16th century, you might also consider these
articles for chosing your given name:

  "Scottish Gaelic Given Names"
  http://www.medievalscotland.org/scotnames/gaelicgiven/

  "Historical Name Generator: Sixteenth Century Irish and Scottish 
   Gaelic Names"
  http://www.medievalscotland.org/scotnames/hng16gaelic/

On the other hand, if you'd rather use something that looks and sounds
more similar to <Mac Quay>, we recommend the following article as a
good source to pick your given name from:

  "Names and Naming Practices in the Fitzwilliam Accounts from 16th 
   Century Ireland"
  http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/tangwystyl/lateirish/fitzwilliam.html

In either case, if you have further questions please write us again
and we'll be happy to help.

You had also expressed interest in heraldic arms.  Once you have
settled on a time and place for your persona, we'll be happy to help
you design appropriate arms.  We should warn you that it was rare for
a Gael in our period to bear arms.

We hope that this letter has been useful to you and that you won't
hesitate to write us again if any part was unclear or if you have
further questions.  Research and commentary on this letter was
provided by Arval Benicoeur, Adelaide de Beaumont, Talan Gwynek,
Ursula Georges, Juetta Copin, and Juliana de Luna.

For the Academy,
-Aryanhwy merch Catmael, 04 April 2005

--
References:

[1] MacLysaght, Edward, _The Surnames of Ireland_ (Dublin: Irish
Academic Press Ltd., 1985, ISBN 0-7165-2366-3). s.n. MacQuay

[2] Black, George F., _The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning
and History_, (New York: The New York Public Library, 1986). s.n. MacQuay

[3] Woulfe, Patrick, _Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish Names and
Surnames_ (Kansas City: Irish Genealogical Foundation). s.n. mac Aoidh

[4] This is just an approximation; the pronunciation of <Aodh> varied
significantly from one Gaelic dialect to another in 16th century Ireland.