Show ContentsStraley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Straley surname comes from the German word "strahl," meaning "arrow."

Early Origins of the Straley family

The surname Straley was first found in Goerz, where the name Straley was closely identified in early mediaeval times with the feudal society of early Europe. The name would later emerge as a noble family with great influence, having many distinguished branches, and become noted for its involvement in social, economic and political affairs.

Early History of the Straley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Straley research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1366 and 1386 are included under the topic Early Straley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Straley Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Strahler, Strahle, Strahlin, Strahling, Strahn, Strall, Strale, Strahlfeld, Stralau, Straelen and many more.

Early Notables of the Straley family

More information is included under the topic Early Straley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Straley Ranking

In the United States, the name Straley is the 8,522nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]

Migration of the Straley family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Gustaf Stahl, who came to Deleware in 1641. Peter Strall arrived in Pennsylvania in 1748; Christian Strahling came to Pennsylvania in 1749; Magdelena Strahlin came to Philadelphia, Pa. in 1819.


Contemporary Notables of the name Straley (post 1700) +

  • Natasha Straley, American actress and producer, known for Brunch on Sundays (2013), Boston Nightly: Long Term Parking (2015) and Leftovers (2010)
  • John Straley (b. 1953), American poet and author of detective fiction
  • Bruce Straley, American game director, artist and designer for the video game developer Naughty Dog
  • Bruce Straley, British BAFTA Award winning director and producer, known for The Last of Us (2013), The Last of Us: Left Behind (2014) and Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (2016)
  • Donald Straley Coffey (1932-2017), American physician and Catherine Iola and J. Smith Michael distinguished professor of urology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/


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