The Clan/Sept History
The surname Taaffe is derived from the Welsh name Taaffe, which is a form of the
personal name David and is related to the modern pet name Taffy. The Gaelic form
of the surname Taaffe is Táth, which is pronounced, and indeed, often spelled,
Since church officials and medieval scribes spelt each name as it sounded to
them; as a result, a single person could accumulate many different versions of
his name within official records. A close examination of the Origins of the name
Taaffe revealed the following spelling variations: Taafe, Taaf, Taffe, Taffee,
Taffie, Taffey and others.
First found in Pembrokeshire, where they held a family seat from very ancient
times, before and after the Norman Conquest in 1066.
Ireland's Great Potato Famine left the country's inhabitants in extreme poverty
and starvation. Many families left their homeland for North America for the
promise of work, freedom and land ownership. Although the Irish were not free of
economic and racial discrimination in North America, they did contriBute greatly
to the rapid development of bridges, canals, roads, and railways. Eventually,
they would be accepted in other areas such as commerce, education, and the arts.
An examination of immigration and passenger lists revealed many bearing the name
Taaffe: John Taafe settled in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1809; Joanne Taaffee
settled in Virginia in 1654; Patrick Taaffe settled in Pennsylvania in 1773;
Peter Taaf settled in Charles Town <Actinic:Variable Name = 'Charleston'/>, South Carolina in 1772.
Motto Translated: In this sign is my hope.
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