Contents [hide]

Tolley History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Tolley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Tolley is a name that was brought to England by the ancestors of the Tolley family when they emigrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Tolley comes from the Norman given name Tollet. "Tollei and Tolli are modern Norwegian forms of the Old Norse Thorleik-r = Thor’s Sport or Contest." 1

Early Origins of the Tolley family

The surname Tolley was first found in Staffordshire where they held a family seat, some say from about the 12th century. The name was derived from Tollet, a Norman noble who entered England after the Norman Conquest in 1066. The earliest recorded instance of the name appears to be of Walter Tulet in the 1219 in the Pipe Rolls for Northumberland. Other early references show Robert Tuylet in 1295 in Cornwall, and Robert Tuliet in 1361 in the Feet of Fines for Essex. 2

"Henry Tullet and Gilian his wife in Kent, and Robert Tulleyt in Wiltshire, c. 1272 (Hundredorum Rolls). John Tolet is mentioned about 1380 in the county of Durham. Bernard Tulet held of Sir John de Baliol at Byvvell in Northumberland 1268." 3

Other Hundredorum Rolls records include: Toly Museye, Lincolnshire; Douce Toly, Cambridgeshire; Tholy Oldcorn, Cambridgeshire; and Stephen Toli, Cambridgeshire. 4

"In the reign of Elizabeth, Mr. George Tolley owned extensive house property in Evesham, [Worcestershire]. The name was represented in the parish of Upton Snodsbury a century ago. Toly was a common name in Cambridgeshire in the reign of Edward I. " 5

Early History of the Tolley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tolley research. Another 106 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1674, 1694, 1701, 1718, 1719, 1741, 1754 and 1771 are included under the topic Early Tolley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tolley Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Tolley were recorded, including Tollet, Tolle, Tolley, Tolly, Tollie, Tollye, Tulet, Tullet and many more.

Early Notables of the Tolley family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Jethro Tull (1674-1741), an English agricultural pioneer born in Basildon, Berkshire who helped bring about the British Agricultural Revolution, he perfected a horse-drawn seed drill in 1701 that economically sowed the seeds in neat rows, eponym of the British...
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tolley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tolley Ranking

In the United States, the name Tolley is the 4,761^st most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 6

Tolley migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Tolley arrived in North America very early:

Tolley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Charles Tolley, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1830
Edith Tolley, aged 19, who landed in America from Wales, in 1893

Tolley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

George Hy Tolley, aged 42, who immigrated to the United States from Keywood England, in 1908
Miss Tolley, who immigrated to the United States from Heywood England, in 1908
Sarah Tolley, aged 32, who landed in America from Birmingham, England, in 1910
Veronica Tolley, aged 11, who immigrated to the United States from Kitterminster, England, in 1911
Cyril W. Tolley, aged 10, who settled in America from Kitterminster, England, in 1911
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Tolley migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Tolley Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mr. Edward Tolley, (b. 1835), aged 20, Cornish settler, from Redruth, Cornwall, UK departing from Falmouth destined for Quebec, Canada aboard the ship "Barque John" on 3rd May 1855 which sank after striking the reef, he survived the sinking 7
Miss Harriett Tolley, (b. 1835), aged 20, Cornish settler, from Redruth, Cornwall, UK departing from Falmouth destined for Quebec, Canada aboard the ship "Barque John" on 3rd May 1855 which sank after striking the reef, she died in the sinking 7

Tolley migration to Australia +

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

Tolley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. James Tolley, English convict who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Aurora" on 3rd November 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
Mr. George Tolley, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Aurora" on 18th June 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
Matthew Tolley, aged 21, a labourer, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Sea Queen" in 1850 9

Tolley 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:

Tolley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William Tolley, aged 27, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Apelles" in 1874

Contemporary Notables of the name Tolley (post 1700) +

William Tolley, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Florida, 1988 (11th District), 1990 (11th District), 1992 (15th District) 10
Ova H. Tolley, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Dunbar, West Virginia, 1963-72 (acting, 1963-65) 10
John D. Tolley, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Tennessee, 1888 10
Harold Sumner Tolley (1894-1956), American Republican politician, U.S. Representative from New York 34th District, 1925-27 10
Bert H. Tolley, American Republican politician, Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives from Macomb County 1st District, 1958 10
Rear Admiral Kemp Tolley (1908-2000), American officer in the U.S. Navy and is the author of three books
Jerry Russell Tolley (b. 1942), American football coach, educator and politician
Robert Lee Tolley (1892-1972), American football quarterback for the Sewanee Tigers
Harold Sumner Tolley (1894-1956), American Republican politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York (1925-1927) 11
Rick Tolley (1940-1970), American football team head coach for Marshall University (1969-1970)
... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Tolley 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: Prudentia in adversis
Motto Translation: Prudence in adversity.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/wreck_of_emigrant_ship_john_1855.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/aurora
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SEA QUEEN 1850. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850SeaQueen.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2014, December 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html