Early Coat of Arms, Family Crest and Early Family History

Early Family History

The family history of the ancient name Early was found in the irishsurnames.com archives.

Surnames developed a wide number of variants over the centuries. Many different spelling variations of the same name can be traced back to a single original root. Also, when a bearer of a name emigrated from Ireland it was not uncommon that their original name would be incorrectly transcribed in the record books upon arrival at their new location. Some names have dozens of spelling variations. Some Surnames were also altered over the years based on how they sounded phonetically, by their sound, and depending on the prevailing political conditions it may have been advantageous to change a name from one language to another. This was especially so in Ireland where most Gaelic names were 'anglicized' at some stage.

Variants of the name Early include Earley, Earlie, Loughran, Loughry, O'Mulmohery and Mulmohery. These Irish names are derived from the Gaelic O'Maolmoicheirghe sept name that is taken from the word 'mocheirghe' which translates as 'early rising'. This sept was located in County Leitrim. A sept or clan was a collective term describing a group of persons whose immediate ancestors bore a common surname and inhabited the same territory. In the Jacobite attainders of County Leitrim the name is spelt Mulvogherry. Another branch of this sept was also established in County Donegal. In 1361 a Robert Erley is listed as Prior of Kells. In records from 1659 families of the name are recorded in the baronies of Banagh and Boylagh. A Doctor John Early (1814-1874), founder of Saint Ignatius College, Worcester, was of the O'Mulmohery sept. The placename Erleystown in County Tipperary is named after the sept. The Early family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including Early descendants.