My Celtic heritage

About 5 years ago Preson and Danie sent me a wonderful Christmas present. It was the McKelvey coat-of-arms and a history of my maiden name. I thought it was very interesting and since nothing exciting happened today I thought I would put it here for posterity.

First, here is my Coat-of-arms:



McKelvey

Family Name history

The Scottish surname McKelvey is patronymic in origin, belonging to that group of surnames derived from the forename of the original bearer’s father. In this case the surname comes from the old Gaelic forename Sealbhach (pronounced “Shelvey”) and comes from the phrase “Mac Shealbhaigh”, meaning “son of Sealbhach”. The prefix “Mac” is followed by the genitive case of the forename and causes the initial “S” to undergo mutation to “Sh”. The letters “sh” are not pronounced in the Gaelic tongue, thus name is elided to “Mac ‘ealbhaigh’ which came to be Anglicized to McKelvey. The McKelvey’s are in fact a branch of the Clan Campbell who appeared in Argyll in the year 404 and who became Dukes of Argyll in the later Middle Ages ; the McKelvey bear the Campbell arms which are illustrated above. The McKelveys owned lands in Dumfriesshire and the earliest documentation of the name dates back to the year 1296 when one Morice MacSalny (sic) paid homage to the Scottish King. Morice had a son who is said to have been a hostage in Galloway and he is noted in 1300 as Mathew Make Salvi. The surname was also born by a hero of Scottish folklore; McDougall’s “Folktales and Fairy Lore” is recorded the story of “Sealbhach mac Shealbhaigh” (in other words , Shelvey McKelvey) and the Balieveolan Glassrig. The surname is also found in northern Ireland as a result of the constant traffic and inter-relations Ulster and Scotland In the middle ages. In the County Donegal there is a surname MacKelvy which is native to Ireland, and which is derived from the Irish Gaelic “Mac Giolla Bhuidhe” “Son of the lad with the yellow hair”. It is possible that the surname McKelvey is in some cases a variant of this, as are MacElwee, MacCalvey, MacGilvie and Mac Galloway.

Blazen of arms: Gyronny of eight or an sable
Crest: A boar’s head coupled or
Motto: Ne obliviscaris
Translation: Do not forget

Origin: Scotland

I need to go find the clan plaid, as different clans were identified by the plaid colors they wore. I am getting a new Renaissance costume which is Celtic, so that when we attend the Renn-faires I will be showing my true heritage.