Greetings,

My name is Randy Hughey and let me start by saying that for some time now I have been contemplating the idea of searching out my lineage with the Hugheys. I hardly know where to begin really, but I would like to get started.

My great uncle Albert told my father a story about the original Hughey brothers coming over from Ireland. For many years I had considered myself of Irish descent, although my uncle Dick could not find any Hugheys on his trip to Ireland. He was visiting in the North, near Belfast I believe. Somehow he got it in his mind that we were probably of Welsh descent. Of course everyone poo pooed this idea as we were set on Ireland as our point of origin.

Then one day, while waiting for a friend in a medical clinic, I struck up a conversation with an older gentleman. Our talk drifted into our families and our descendants. He had apparently done a lot of work with genealogies. I told him my name and that I thought we were from Ireland.
He asked for the spelling and then began to tell me some things that seemed to confirm my uncle Dick's notions about Wales. He said that he was Welsh and that in the course of his research he had come across my name as being a very important one in Welsh history. He said that it was pronounced "huffy" in Welsh. He also said that we were an important family to the King of Wales at one time, and that some of the Hugheys had been the right hand men of the king(s). This has really given me some pause for thought. Have we been deceived all of this time, or was this man just slinging me a yarn?

I am writing to ask if anyone knows anything about a possible Welsh connection and/or origin of this name. Is it possible that the Hugheys were truly Welsh but that some of them had settled in Ireland? I would truly like to trace my origins through the Hugheys back to the original ethnic root, if that is even possible. Can anyone possibly tell me if you believe this to be Irish or Scottish? Or is it in fact Welsh? From which language is the name Hughey (which I understand to mean "spirit") derived?

I intend to do some study of the history of the whole region, but I would really like to find which ethnic group I am with and focus on that heritage. I want to know which is my true homeland and visit in that place one day. I can not exactly explain why this is so important to me, but it feels like it is something I need to do. Most of my family can not see the point of wanting to be so exact or in fact the need to find these roots at all. In any event, if you have any answers to these questions that I have posed, I would be extremely greatful if you could give me some further enlightenment. Thank you for your consideration and any help that you can be in this matter.

Sincerely Yours,

Randy Hughey