Contents [hide]

Slaney History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Slaney History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The distinguished surname Slaney emerged among the industrious people of Flanders, which was an important trading partner and political ally of Britain during the Middle Ages. As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Flemish surnames of this type frequently are prefixed by de la or de le, which mean of the or from the. The Slaney family originally lived in some place which experts suggest was named Slanie or Slaney. The surname Slaney belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads, or other places.

Early Origins of the Slaney family

The surname Slaney was first found in Shropshire where they held a family seat from early times. Rodolphe de Slanie or Slane accompanied the Empress Maude into England about the year 1110.

Over in Ireland, Philip of Slade (died 1326), was Bishop of Cork, born at Slane in Meath. "He became a Dominican friar, and on 20 Feb. 1321 was papally provided to the bishopric of Cork, receiving the temporalities on 17 July following. " 1

Early History of the Slaney family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Slaney research. Another 117 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1595 and 1631 are included under the topic Early Slaney History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Slaney Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Slaney, Slanie, Slane, Slayney and others.

Early Notables of the Slaney family

Prominent in the family at this time was

Sir Stephen Slaney of Hatton Grange

Slaney Ranking

In Newfoundland, Canada, the name Slaney is the 331^st most popular surname with an estimated 138 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Slaney family to Ireland

Some of the Slaney family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Slaney migration to the United States +

The records on immigrants and ships' passengers show a number of people bearing the name Slaney:

Slaney Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

David Slaney was granted land at Great St. Lawrence in 1844
Mary Slaney who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1850

Slaney migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Slaney Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Henry Slaney was a member of Board of Road Commissioners of Burin district, Newfoundland in 1844 3
Miss. Catherine Slaney, aged 14 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "William Pirie" departing from the port of Belfast, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 4
Mr. James Slaney, aged 13 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Lively" departing from the port of Cork, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 4
Miss. Mary Slaney, aged 7 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Lively" departing from the port of Cork, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in July 1847 4

Slaney migration to Australia +

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

Slaney Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Ann Slaney, (Hannah), (b. 1814), aged 18, English dairymaid who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Fanny" on 14th July 1832, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, she died in 1842 5
Mr. William Slaney, English convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for 8 years, transported aboard the "Clara" on 28th January 1864, arriving in Western Australia, Australia 6

Slaney migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Slaney Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr Slaney, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1841 aboard the ship Arab
Henry Slaney, aged 34, a brickmaker, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Arab" in 1841
Jane Slaney, aged 15, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Arab" in 1841

Contemporary Notables of the name Slaney (post 1700) +

Mary Slaney (b. 1958), American Track and Field athlete
Thomas Charles "Tom" Slaney (1852-1935), English footballer and manager
George Wilson Slaney (1884-1978), English novelist, who often wrote under the pseudonym George Woden
Robert Aglionby Slaney (1792-1862), British advocate of rural and economic reform, the representative of a family traditionally derived from Slany (Schlan), a small town in Bohemia, near Prague, but settled in Shropshire since the end of the sixteenth century
Ivor Ernst Slaney (1921-1998), British composer and conductor
Richard Charles Slaney (b. 1956), British discus thrower at the 1984 Summer Olympics, Britain's Strongest Man in 1980
Robert Slaney (b. 1988), Canadian ice hockey left winger
John Slaney (b. 1972), Canadian professional hockey player
John Slaney, Professor in Computer Sciences at Australian National University

The Slaney 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: Deo duce comite industria
Motto Translation: God is my guide, industry my companion.

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
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. 55)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fanny
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/clara