Origin of the Name Sealey
The origin of the name
Sealey was found in the allfamilycrests.com archives.
Over the centuries Surnames developed a wide number of variants. Different spellings of the same name can be traced back to an original root. Additionally when a bearer of a name emigrated it was not uncommon that their original name would be incorrectly transcribed in the record books at their new location. Surnames were also often altered over the years based on how they sounded phonetically and depending on the prevailing political conditions it may have been advantageous to change a name from one language to another.
Variants of the name Sealey
include Seely, Seelie, Seely, Sealy and Seelye. These names are derived from the old English word 'saelig' meaning 'happy' or 'blessed'. This name is usually of English descent and is found in many ancient manuscripts in that country. Examples of such are a William Sely of County Oxfordshire and an Egidius Sely of County Norfolk who were recorded in the 'Hundred Rolls', England, in the year 1273. A Thomas Sely of London was recorded in the 'Placita de Quo Warranto' in the reign of Edward I.
Names were recorded in these ancient documents to make it easier for their overlords to collect taxes and to keep records of the population at any given time. When the overlords acquired land by either force or gifts from their rulers, they created charters of ownership for themselves and their vassals. It was by creating, maintaining and updating these reference books that they were able to maintain their authority and enforce laws.
In Ireland these names can be of immigrant origin especially in Ulster province. In Counties Kerry and Cork Sealey is an anglicized form of the native Gaelic O'Sealbhaigh sept name that was also changed to Shally and Shelly.
The Sealey coat of arms came into existence centuries ago. The process of creating coats of arms (also often called family crests) began in the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this. The new art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own coat of arms, including all Sealey descendants.