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Author: jcady622
Surnames: cady, cade, cadey, cadye, and Kady
Classification: queries
Message Board URL:
http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.cady/784.1.1.1.1.1.2/mb.ashx
Message Board Post:
In the "Dictionary of English Names" by Arthur, he lists Cady as being of Gaelic
origin, Cad-ia meaning House of God (or Church). He showed the name originated in Suffolk
County, England and records confirm this on the "Pipe rolls" as far back as
1325. However, others show the name goes back to 1189 in Yorkshire and as a first name
back to before the Reign of Edward the Confessor (1004-1066),
English surnames are generally categorized in one of seven origins, 1. Occupational;
2.personal characteristic; 3,name of an estate; 4.name of place; 5.patronage; 6.
Topographical; or 7. Ancestral. The surname Cady has been has been attributed with most
of these origins. Recent evidence in two areas has added to our knowledge; first Y-DNA
points to an ancestor who was of Danish origin; second, studies on English Dialects
confirm Suffolk, where many English colonists to America came from. The Danes (or Vikings)
conquered most of Britain, but were defeated and allowed to settle in Suffolk, Their
leaders married into the Saxon Royalty and merged with them, this being the basis of
William the Conquers claim. Pronunciation being another factor, is Cady (Kai-dee) as old
as the Pre-Roman era (Gaelic) or the Anglo-Saxon era which were 300 years apart. Which is
500 years before the name is found in the Pipe Rolls.
The name was not likely Gaelic or Anglo-Saxon as both languages lacked the letter
"C" and I understand the letter "K" was pronounced like
"key", so Cadia was (ke-dai) and Cada was (K-da). The Irish have the name as
Keidy and some changed the spelling to Cady. Some Germanic Cada's also came to America
and took the spelling Cady, they all listed their origin as Bohemia or Bavaria. This
leaves Cade as the most likely origin of the name. Cade has two different origins the
French Cade (Ka-id) is a barrel used for Wine and Herring and is a nickname for a stout
person and the English Cade (Kai-dee) is a nicjname for a domestic animal kept as a pet or
Gentle person. CADE was also a common first name before 1086 and likely morphed into John
de Cady (John of Cady). Spelling varied from, Cade, Cadey, Cadye, Kady, and several
others
The surname is found in America 20 to 1 over England, yet the majority of Americans with
the surname are related to Nicholas Cady 1624-1710. He used Cade and Cady interchangeably
and some members of his family kept Cade, but most were Cady. When the Scotch-Irish came
over after 1715 small numbers came as Cady, they settled outside of New England. When the
Irish came after 1840, there were Keidy's and they mostly settled outside of New
England and some Angliazed their surname to Cady. Some Cady's of English ancestry
arrived from Canada after 1840, but not many. Y-DNA points to the name being ancestral.
Point - of the 45,000 English surnames Cady is about 10,750, of the 89,000 American
surnames it is about 3,200, Cade is ranked more common in England, yet very rare in
America. I attribute this to the names being pronounced the same, as Kai-dee.
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