First found in Lancashire and Yorkshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times, long before the Norman Conquest in 1066.

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them travelled 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 Bentley or a variant listed above: William Bentley who sailed aboard the "Free Love" in 1624 from England, who settled in Virginia; Mary Bentley settled in New England in 1635; Henry Bentley settled in Virginia in 1650.

Motto Translated: Live that you may live forever.

For more information on the last name Bentley, the PDF Surname History is available for purchase as well as other products.