SAYE, SAEY, SOY > Portarlington, IRL Look-up The origin of the SEAY surname is not known, but it has been reported to have been adopted by a refugee named SAYE or SEE from Wicres in French Flanders. Insofar as certain sound-alike names from that region have also appeared in O'Hart Irish lists, a Portarlington look-up seems desirable for SAYE, SAEY, SAY, SEY, SOY, SOYEZ all of which have been declared to be variants of each other in the "Etymological Dictionary of the Surnames in Belgium and North France" by Dr. Frans Debrabandere. Already known to be associated with Portarlington is DE SAILLY, another sound-alike name for SAYE. Hugh Seay