What does the surname Hay mean?
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From the Norman princes de La Haye, who came to England with William the Conqueror in 1066. The Hays trace their history to the Norman princes de La Haye, part of William the Conqueror's army in 1066.
Where does the Hay family come from?
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The Hay family is rooted in Perthshire and Grampian & the North-East, in Scotland. Within that, the name was particularly concentrated in Atholl & Strathearn and Buchan & Mar. The atlas page for the name records the historical territory it has held over the centuries.
Is Hay a Scotland surname?
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Yes, Hay is a Scotland surname. Its editorial home in this atlas is Scotland, where the historical territory and family record of the name are concentrated.
How old is the Hay surname?
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The Hays trace their history to the Norman princes de La Haye, part of William the Conqueror's army in 1066. European hereditary surnames crystallised broadly between the 12th and 14th centuries, and the Hay name took its modern form within that long settlement.
What is the Hay family known for?
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Hereditary Constables of Scotland, second only to the crown. The Hays trace their history to the Norman princes de La Haye, part of William the Conqueror's army in 1066.
What is the Hay motto?
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The motto of the Hay family is "Serva jugum", which translates as "Keep the yoke". Family mottoes were registered with the chief of the name and carried on the heraldic arms and battle-banners.
What does "Serva jugum" mean in English?
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"Serva jugum" is the motto of the Hay family. In English it means "Keep the yoke". The phrase is typically rendered in Latin, though some Highland families carry their motto in Gaelic and some Norman lines in Old French.
Who is the most famous Hay?
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The best-known bearer of the Hay name is Sir Gilbert Hay (d. 1436), companion of Joan of Arc. Other prominent figures of the family include William Hay, 1st Earl of Erroll (d. 1462).
Who are some famous Hays?
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Notable bearers of the Hay name include Sir Gilbert Hay (d. 1436), companion of Joan of Arc and William Hay, 1st Earl of Erroll (d. 1462). Each is profiled on the family page, with cross-links to the geography, stories, and historical events tied to their life.
What stories are told about the Hay family?
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The Hay family is associated with The Earl of Erroll at Harlaw. Each story has its own page on this site with the full account, the date, the location, and the other families involved.
What is the story of the Earl of Erroll at Harlaw?
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On the morning of the twenty-fourth of July 1411, on the rising ground above the head of the Garioch, twenty miles north-west of Aberdeen, the Lowland-Norman levies of Aberdeenshire and Angus, under Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar, met a Highland-Hebridean army of about ten thousand under Donald, Lord of the Isles, in the most consequential battle fought in north-east Scotland in the post-Bruce century. Donald had been pressing east for the earldom of Ross. The event is dated to 1411.
Where is the Hay surname found today?
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Scotland is the primary historical home of the Hay surname. In the modern era, the name is also borne across the wider diaspora, particularly in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, where families carry the line of descent from the same Scotland origin recorded on this page.
What does the Clan Rising page for the Hay family cover?
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The Clan Rising page for the Hay family covers the meaning of the surname, the historical geography of the name, the family motto, famous bearers of the name, traditional stories and the seat of the head of the family. Each section is linked to the underlying atlas of Scotland so the name can be read in the geography that shaped it.
Who is the head of the Hay family today?
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The seat for the head of the Hay family is currently vacant on this register. Clan Rising is rebuilding the chief and family structure for the modern era, and the family page allows readers to claim the seat or pledge to the name.