Utley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The origins of the Utley name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived in the parish of Oteley found in the counties of Shropshire, Suffolk and the West Riding of Yorkshire. 1 Utley is derived from the Old English elements "ote," or "oats" and "leah," meaning "a clearing." 2

Otley in the West Riding of Yorkshire as "in the Domesday Survey [as] Othelia, is supposed to have derived the name from Othe or Otho, its Saxon proprietor. It formed the principal portion of an extensive manor or liberty, which was granted by Athelstan to the see of York. The archbishops had a residence here, and their successors to this day are lords of the manor and liberty." 3

Early Origins of the Utley family

The surname Utley was first found in Suffolk where the first record of the family was found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 as Richard de Otteleye. Kirby's Quest lists "Henry Otleghe, Somerset, Edward III" 4 (Henry Otleghe held lands in Somerset during the reign of Edward III.)

Tor de Ottalay was listed in Yorkshire (1148-1156); Thomas de Otteleg was found in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1225 in Suffolk; and Paulinus de Otteley was found in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1301. 5

Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Mary Henry Hotlay as living there at that time. 6

Early History of the Utley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Utley research. Another 161 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1425, 1434, 1601, 1626, 1643, 1644, 1646, 1649, 1661, 1670, 1716 and 1723 are included under the topic Early Utley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Utley Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Utley were recorded, including Ottley, Otley, Oatley, Oteley, Oatly and others.

Early Notables of the Utley family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Francis Ottley (1601-1649), English Royalist knight, military governor of Shrewsbury in 1643 and later High Sheriff of Shropshire (1644-1646)...
Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Utley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Utley Ranking

In the United States, the name Utley is the 3,844^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 7

Utley migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Utley family emigrate to North America:

Utley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Samuel Utley, who landed in New England in 1657 8

Utley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Sarah Utley, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1743 8
Richard Utley, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1743 8

Utley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Wilfred Utley, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1874 8
Mrs. Utley, aged 30, who landed in America, in 1892
Sam. Utley, aged 57, who landed in America, in 1893
Annie Utley, aged 23, who immigrated to America, in 1895
Edward H. Utley, aged 47, who immigrated to the United States, in 1897

Utley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Harry Utley, aged 27, who landed in America from Halifax, England, in 1906
Catherine Utley, aged 33, who landed in America, in 1909
George B. Utley, aged 34, who landed in America, in 1910
Samuel Utley, who immigrated to the United States, in 1910
Mrs. Samuel Utley, who immigrated to America, in 1910
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Utley (post 1700) +

Darrell Thomas Utley (b. 1981), American actor from California; he played Benjy Hawk on Days of Our Lives from 1988 to 1989
George Burwell Utley (1876-1946), influential American librarian
Nathan Utley (1743-1804), American-born sailor and political figure in Nova Scotia
Justin Utley, American rock singer and songwriter
Francis Lee Utley (1907-1974), folklorist, linguist, medievalist, scholar of onomastics and literature, educator, and author
Windsor Utley (1920-1989), American musician, artist, teacher and gallery owner
Jerome Adams "Jerry" Utley (1881-1959), American baseball player and coach
Terri Amos-Britt Utley (b. 1961), American beauty queen and motivational speaker
Stanley Frank Utley (b. 1962), American professional golfer
Garrick Utley (1939-2014), American TV journalist for NBC News, the first full-time television correspondent covering the Vietnam War on-site, Meet the Press Moderator (1989-1991)
... (Another 18 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)