Show ContentsAngely History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Angely originated with the Anglo-Saxon tribes that once ruled Britain. It is derived from the Old English personal name Angel, which is derived from the Latin Angelus and the Greek Angelos, which means a messenger. The personal name also appeared in the feminine forms of Angela and Angelina. [1]

The name is denoted for "one who acted as a religious messenger or as a messenger from God; a nickname for an angelic person; descendant of Angel, a man's name in England." [2]

Early Origins of the Angely family

The surname Angely was first found in Lancashire where they held a family seat from very early times, some say before the Norman Conquest of England by Duke William in 1066 A.D. It is likely that this name originated in one of the conquering families of Angles who settled in Lancashire after the conquest of the Strathclyde Britons. The name was written in early records as Anglicus, but the name was carried from England to France as D'Anglars.

Early History of the Angely family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Angely research. Another 55 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1555, 1610, 1618, 1636, 1655 and 1694 are included under the topic Early Angely History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Angely Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Angely has appeared include Angell, Angel, Angle, Anegall, Anegal, Anegoll and others.

Early Notables of the Angely family

Distinguished members of the family include John Angel (fl. 1555), Chaplain to King Philip and Queen Mary, is said to have been a 'person of singular zeal and learning.' John Angel or Angell (d. 1655), was 'a Gloucestershire man,' born towards the end of the sixteenth century. "He was admitted to Magdalen Hall, Oxford in 1610 and was ordained in holy orders; at...
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Angely Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Angely family

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Angely arrived in North America very early: John Angell of England who settled in Rhode Island in 1631. In Newfoundland, Samuel Angell who settled in Petty Harbourin 1725; Samuel Angel was a fisherman of St. John's in 1790.



The Angely Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Stare super vias antiquas
Motto Translation: I stand in the track of my ancestors.


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print


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