Radle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancient history of the Radle name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in the parish of Radley in the county of Berkshire. The surname Radle is both topographic and habitational since it was originally derived from the Old English word Redleah, referring to those individuals who lived by the reed stream, and also refers to the place-name in Berkshire. 1 Today Radley is a village and civil parish northwest of the centre of Abingdon, Oxfordshire. Originally in Berkshire, it was transferred in 1974. 2

Early Origins of the Radle family

The surname Radle was first found in Essex, where the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: Roger de Redlee; Warin de Redleye; and Richard de Redlege as all residing there at that time. 3 But the name likely went back further as Radeleáh was the form found in a 10th century charter in Wiltshire. 4

Early History of the Radle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Radle research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1671 is included under the topic Early Radle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Radle Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Radle include Radley, Radleigh, Radlee, Radlie, Radle and others.

Early Notables of the Radle family

Notables of the family at this time include

Radley of Yarborough

Radle migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled 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 ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Radle or a variant listed above:

Radle Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Geo Radle, who landed in Virginia in 1696 5

Radle Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joseph Radle, aged 23, who immigrated to the United States, in 1895

Radle Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Hugo Radle, aged 20, who settled in America, in 1924

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
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)