Show ContentsIrle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Anglo-Saxon name Irle comes from when the family resided in the parish of Earley, in the diocese of Oxford.

Early Origins of the Irle family

The surname Irle was first found in the County of Somerset. The surname originates from a Saxon word "eorl" or "jarl" which described the elder or wise man of the village. In time the name came to mean the leader or ruler and finally, during mediaeval times it was used to signify a nobleman of the highest rank.

Later, a branch of the family was found at Axmouth in Devon. "The manor [of Axmouth] formerly belonged to the abbey of Sion, in Middlesex, and was given at the Dissolution by Henry VIII. to his queen Catharine Parr, as part of her dower; it reverted at her death to the crown, and was granted by Edward VI., in 1552, to Walter Erle." [1]

"For some two centuries it has been the property of the Hallets. Stedcombe House, a seat of the Erles, was garrisoned by Sir Walter for the Parliament, but taken and burned in March, 1644, by a party of Prince Maurice's troops. The Erles then resided at Bindon, now a farmhouse, but retaining many traces of its ancient state, particularly its domestic chapel. Sir Walter Erie had been imprisoned for refusing to lend money to the King, and in revenge seized Lyme for the Parliament in 1642." [2]

"The manor of Penheale, [in the parish or Egloskerry, Cornwall] extends over the whole parish, can be satisfactorily traced up to the time of Doomsday Survey. At that time it was held under Robert Earl of Moreton by Ricardus, whose son William Fitz Richard, left a daughter and sole heiress, who was married to Reginald Earl of Cornwall, natural son of Henry I." [3]

"It appears from Dugdale's Monasticon, that the church of Egloshayle [in Cornwall] was given by William Earl of Gloucester to the priory of St. James in Bristol, which gift was confirmed by Edward II." [3]

Early History of the Irle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Irle research. Another 325 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1120, 1160, 1416, 1471, 1586, 1590, 1601, 1614, 1615, 1616, 1648, 1650, 1653, 1662, 1665, 1667, 1678, 1720, 1758, 1812 and 1859 are included under the topic Early Irle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Irle Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Irle has been recorded under many different variations, including Earl, Earle, Earll, Earlls, Erle, Irle, Urles, Urle, Erl, Earls, Earles, Earlie, Earlee, Erlegh, Erligh, Erleigh, Earleigh and many more.

Early Notables of the Irle family

Distinguished members of the family include Nicholas Earl of Allerton Tower; Erasmus Earle (1590-1667), an English lawyer and politician, Sergeant-at-law to Oliver Cromwell; Sir Walter Erle or Earle (1586-1665), an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1614 and 1648, an strong opponent of King Charles I in the Parliamentary cause both before and during the English Civil War; Giles Earle (fl. 1615), an English collector of songs, and assumed poet...
Another 76 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Irle Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Irle family to Ireland

Some of the Irle family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Irle family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Irle or a variant listed above: Ralph Earle who settled in Rhode Island in 1638; and took part in Church's Indian wars, and Robert Earl who came in the "Hercules" in 1643 to Massachusetts.



The Irle 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: Ne Tentes Aut Perfice
Motto Translation: Attempt not or accomplish.


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
  3. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print


Houseofnames.com on Facebook