"Audaces fortuna juvat"

"fortune favors the bold"

Variations in Spelling: Hayes, Hayse, Hays

In Ireland, Hayes originated as a Gaelic polygenetic surname "O hAodha", meaning descendant of Aodh ("fire"), or of Aed, an Irish mythological god. Septs in most counties anglicised "O hAodha" to "Hayes". In County Cork, it became "O'Hea". In County Ulster, it became "Hughes", the patronymic of Hugh, an anglicized variant of the given name Aodh. Hayes is noted on a public record in County Wexford as early as 1182. In County Cork, under the Munster providence, Hayes falls under the banner of the McNamara clan in the Dalcassian Sept. The Hayes clan is also been known to hail allegiance to Clan Cian, the ruling O'Carroll clan, of southern Ireland.

The surname Hayes was first found in Herefordshire where Bartholomew de la Hase held a fief in 1165. He claimed descent from Hayes near Blois, Normandy.

Early rolls had a mixture of entries in the singular and the now more popular plural form: Richard de Hay in the Pipe Rolls for Lincolnshire in 1170; Robert de la Haie, a Knight Templar for Hertfordshire in 1185; Roger del Hayes in the Hundredorum Rolls for Norfolk in 1275; Henry del Haye and Stephen in the Haye in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire in 1275; and Thomas atte Heye in the Subsidy Rolls for Somerset in 1327.

From this early origin, the name was listed in a few locations, specifically, Norfolk, where some of the first records of the name were Edorard de lis Heys and John del Heys who were listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. The same rolls listed Nichola de la Hay in Lincolnshire. William de Hayes was listed in Northamptonshire in the 13th century as a follower of John Giffard (1232-1299), the English nobleman, but had his house plundered after the Battle of Evesham in 1265.

The Hayes families migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Hayes.

Hayes Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

• John Hayes, who arrived in Virginia in 1617
• Hugh Hayes, who landed in Virginia in 1635
• Richard Hayes, who landed in Virginia in 1635
• Tho Hayes, who landed in Virginia in 1637
• Mary Hayes, who landed in Virginia in 1637

Hayes Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

• Margaret Hayes, who arrived in Virginia in 1705
• William Hayes, who landed in Baltimore, NW in 1720
• Johan Hayes, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732
• Judah Hayes, who landed in New York, NY in 1741
• John Hayes, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1766

Hayes Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

• Matthias Hayes, aged 32, who arrived in Virginia in 1813
• Walter C Hayes, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1813
• Alexander Hayes, who landed in New York in 1824
• Eleanor Hayes, who arrived in New York in 1824
• Patrick Hayes, who arrived in Aranzazu or Copano, Tex in 1829

Notables of this surname at this time include:

• Sir Thomas Hayes of London
• Sir James Hayes (1637-1694), founding Fellow of the Royal Society in 1663, Secretary to Prince Rupert and first Deputy-Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company in 1672, eponym of Hayes River, Canada
• Samuel Hayes (1641-1712), Deputy of the General Assembly of the Colony of Connecticut from Norwalk (1686-1703)