Contents [hide]

Cawley History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Cawley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

Cawley is a name that was brought to England by the ancestors of the Cawley family when they migrated to the region after the Norman Conquest in 1066. The Cawley family lived in Norfolk, where they were Lords of the Castle of Cailly. The name was originally from 'de Cailli,' from Cailli, an arrondissement of Rouen. 1 "Hugh de Cailly, lord of Orby, Norfolk, was head of the family whence sprang the barony." 2

Another source believes that the name was from "the French town, Calais, possessed by the English from temp. Edward II. to Queen Mary." 3

Early Origins of the Cawley family

The surname Cawley was first found in Norfolk where one of the first records of the name was William de Kailli, de Caly who was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1210. Alternatively the name Caley, is a fairly common Manx name. 4

There are very few early records of the name but researchers did manage to find two records in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273: Osbert de Caly, Norfolk; and Hugh de Caly, Norfolk. 2

"The Calleys of Wilts deduce from Norfolk. I find no locality so denominated, and the family may possibly spring from the Scottish M'Caulays." 3

The plural from of the name was popular too in the early years. The Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III listed "John de Caleys, Jersey, 20 Edward I" (during the twentieth year's reign of Edward I.) The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Henricus de Calays; and Robertas Calas. 2

Early History of the Cawley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cawley research. Another 189 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1560, 1576, 1602, 1603, 1610, 1634, 1635, 1640, 1654, 1661, 1663, 1667, 1681, 1708, 1709, 1717, 1727 and 1798 are included under the topic Early Cawley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cawley Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Cailly, Calley, Callis, Cally, Caley, Cayley and many more.

Early Notables of the Cawley family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

William Cawley (1602-1667), British politician, MP for Midhurst in 1640 and regicide who fled to the Netherlands and then Switzerland after the Restoration. He was the eldest son of John Cawley, a bre...

Cawley Ranking

In the United States, the name Cawley is the 7,289^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 5

Cawley migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Cawley or a variant listed above:

Cawley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Will Cawley, who arrived in Virginia in 1661 6
Robert Cawley, who landed in New England in 1662 6
Hugh Cawley, who landed in Virginia in 1698 6

Cawley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Cawley, aged 18, who arrived in New York in 1854 6

Cawley migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cawley Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Miss. Ellen Cawley, aged 1 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Emigrant" departing 11th August 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 3rd October 1847 but she died on board 7
Miss. Francis Cawley, aged 6 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Wolfyille" departing 25th April 1847 from Sligo, Ireland; the ship arrived on 10th June 1847 but she died on board 7
Mr. John Cawley, aged 3 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Wolfyille" departing 25th April 1847 from Sligo, Ireland; the ship arrived on 10th June 1847 but he died on board 7

Cawley migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Cawley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Henry Albion Benjamin Cawley, who arrived in Glenelg Roads aboard the ship "Pestonjee Bomanjee" in 1838 8
Mr. Robert Cawley, (b. 1797), aged 46, English convict who was convicted in Taunton, Somerset, England for 10 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Cressy" on 28th April 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9

Contemporary Notables of the name Cawley (post 1700) +

Joseph Gaynor Cawley (1941-2021), American politician, Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (1981-2006), and former professional baseball player
James "Jim" Cawley (b. 1969), American politician, 32nd Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania, from 2011 to 2015
Tucker Cawley, American three-time Emmy Award winning television comedy writer and producer
Rex Cawley (b. 1940), American Olympic gold medalist hurdler at the 1964 Summer Olympics
James Cawley (b. 1967), American actor, best known for his role as Captain James T. Kirk in the fan film series Star Trek: Phase II
Charles M. Cawley (1941-2015), American businessman and founding member of the bank MBNA
Richard Cawley (b. 1947), English food writer, chef and fashion designer
Peter Cawley (b. 1965), English former professional footballer who played from 1986 to 1998
Gerry Cawley, Cornish Heavyweight Wrestling Champion in 2007
Richard Cawley (b. 1947), English food writer and fashion designer
... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Cawley family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Thomas J Cawley, British Ordinary Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 10

Pan Am Flight 103 (Lockerbie)

Richard Anthony Cawley (1945-1988), American Businessman from New York, New York, America, who flew aboard the Pan Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt to Detroit, known as the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 and died 11

SS Caribou

Mr. Preston H. Cawley, (Cowley), British passenger who was naval stores inspector from Montreal, Quebec was travelling aboard the railway ferry "SS Caribou" when it was struck by a German submarine torpedo on 14th October 1942, the most significant sinking in Canadian waters at that time, he died in the sinking

The Cawley 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: Callide et honeste
Motto Translation: Wisely and honourably.

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 69)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The PESTONJEE BOMANJEE 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838PestonjeeBomanjee.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st May 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cressy
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
Pan Am Flight 103's victims: A list of those killed 25 years ago | syracuse.com. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/12/pan_am_flight_103s_victims_a_list_of_those_killed_25_years_ago.html