Family Crests Blog

The history of the surname Barry starts in Ireland, although the name is probably of Norman origin and comes from the old French word ‘barri’ which means ‘rampart’. The Gaelic version of the name is ‘Beargha’ or ‘Baire’.

This dinguished Irish name was found first in County Cork where Philip de Barri was granted large tracts of land in 1179. He and his descendants prospered and formed several Septs (Septs are like an Irish version of the Scottish Clans), namely Barry Mor, Barry Roe, Barry Maol, Barry Og, and Barry Ladir. The baronies of Barrymore and Barryroe are named after Septs of Barry.

A descendant of Philip de Barri became Baron Barry in 1490, and the same line were later made Viscount Buttevant and Earl of Barrymore in 1627. The name spread extensively in Southern Ireland.

Notable people with the Barry name include David Barry, Earl of Barrymore who was killed in the war of 1641; James Barry is considered to be the first Irish dramatist; Sir Charles Barry was the architect of the Houses of Parliament in London; and John Barry who was born in County Wexford was known as ‘the father of the American Navy’.

The family crest is a simple one as is often the case with the older family crests: 6 horizontal red lines on a silver background. A motto is an optional component and the family opted not to include one.

The Ball surname dates back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It was a name given to someone who was bald, a word that is derived from the Old English word ‘bealla’ which means bald. Records of the name wewre first found in Cheshire. Over time the name was also spelt Balls and Balle. Spelling was not important in those days; for example Shakespeare spelt his own name in five different ways.

The Ball family were seated at Bickerton and in the city of Chester. John Ball was an English priest and leader of the Peasants Revolt. He also wrote “When Adam delved and Eve span. Who was then the gentleman.@ He was executed in 1381, presumably for his role in the Peasants Revolt rather than his poetry! By the 15th century the Ball family had spread to Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and Norfolk; although they remained one of the distinguished families of Cheshire. In Staffordshire they were seated at Pipe. Notables of the family included Bartholomew Ball who married Margaret Birmingham in 1530. She became Mayoress of Dublin and, because of her Catholic religion, she was imprisoned in the dungeons at Dublin Castle until she took the Oath of Supremacy – to swear allegiance to the monarch of England and the Church of England. She refused to do so and died in prison 7 years later. She was beatified by the Catholic Church in 1992.

The family crest of the Ball family is shown here. The motto translates as ‘Virtue is the support of dignity’.

The surname Anderson is of Scottish origin. Holders of the name were found first in the Hebrides and on the west coast of Scotland. The name comes from the first name ‘Andrew’.

This surname is believed to be of Dalriadan origin, one of the Scoti tribes that invaded Scotland from Northern Ireland.The Dalriadans were descended from King Colla da Crioch who was banished from ireland in 327 A.D., along with 350 clan chiefs.

The surname Anderson emerged as a Scottish Clan in the territory around Angus. The family is descended from Mac Ghille Andreis, servant of St Andrew, Scotland’s Patron Saint. The family held territories in Moidart and Badenoch in 1300. The family continued to grow over the centuries, spreading throughout Scotland and Northern England.

Famous holders of the Anderson name include Elizabeth garrett Anderson, the first woman doctor in England; James Anderson, inventor of the reflecting telescope; and David and Alexander Anderson, who made great contributions to the world of mathematics.

The family motto is ‘Stand sure’.

The name Bailey was one of many that came across to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066. There are two possible sources of the name: a town called Bailleul-En-Vimeu in the Somme; and a title, ‘Le Balli’ which was roughly equal to a sheriff.

The name was first found in Northumberland but soon moved north to Scotland. John Balliol was crowned King of Scotland on St Andrew’s Day 1292. Edward Balliol, the eldest son of John, was King of Scotland from 1332 to about 1338. Sir Alexander Balliol, the uncle of John, sired a line of Balliols who had lands in Stoprig and Penstoun in East Lothian, and Carnbrue in Clydsdale. The Balliols of Lamintoun changed their names to Ballie in 1308 and Sir William Ballie claimed the family crest with 9 stars. The Ballies became one of the distinguished Clans of Scotland and spelt their name in 30 different ways, including Baillie, Bailey, Bailie, Bayly, Baly, Ballye, Bayllie, Bywell, and many others. In those days spelling was not important and someone could be born with one spelling, be married with another, and die with a different spelling.