Layland History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Layland belongs to the early history of Britain, it's origins lie with the Anglo-Saxons. It is a product of their having lived in Leyland, in Lancashire. The place-name Leyland is derived from the Old English elements læge and land, and means "untilled land." 1 It was recorded as Lailand in the Domesday Book, 2 compiled in 1086 on the orders of William the Conqueror. The family name is derived from the place-name and means "dweller by the uncultivated land."

Early Origins of the Layland family

The surname Layland was first found in Lancashire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D. There are actually two parishes in Lancashire bearing the name Layland or Leyland. "The Lancashire Leyland was Leylaund, Leylond, Leyland, Laylond, Lelarid in the 13th century." 3

The first record of the family was actually found in neighbouring Yorkshire when Johannes Leyland was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 4

Leyland Motors Limited, the British vehicle manufacturer of lorries, buses and trolleybuses was based in Leyland, Lancashire. Founded in 1896, the original company is now defunct.

Early History of the Layland family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Layland research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1210, 1503, 1552, 1670, 1679, 1691 and 1766 are included under the topic Early Layland History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Layland Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Layland include Leyland, Leland, Lelland, Leeland, Lealand and others.

Early Notables of the Layland family

Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Layland Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Layland migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Layland were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Layland Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Henry Layland, who landed in Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1653 5

Layland migration to Australia +

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

Layland Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Sarah Layland, British Convict who was convicted in Worcester, Worcestershire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl Cornwallis" in August 1800, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Mr. William Layland, English convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 25th June 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Layland (post 1700) +

Louis C. Layland, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Ohio, 1912 8
Charles R. Layland, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Missouri, 1956 8
Sir Francis Henry Godolphin Layland -Barratt (1896-1968), 2nd Baronet
Christian Layland -Greenaway (b. 1989), Australian football media personality and host of The Football Sack Podcast
Sir Francis Layland -Barratt (1860-1933), 1st Baronet, a British Liberal Party politician

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-cornwallis
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html