Ackley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The roots of the Anglo-Saxon name Ackley come from when the family resided in a clearing surrounded by oak trees. The surname Ackley literally means oak-meadow. 1 The surname Ackley is associated with the village of Acle in Norfolk, and the village of Akeley in Buckinghamshire.

Early Origins of the Ackley family

The surname Ackley was first found in Norfolk or Buckinghamshire. Of the two locations, Akeley (Akely) in Buckinghamshire seems to be the strongest place of origin for the surname. Located "in the union, hundred, and county of Buckingham, 2½ miles (N. by E.) from the town of Buckingham," 2

Akeley has remained small over the years as by the late 1800s, it only had a population of 362. 2 However, the parish dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was first listed as Achelei. 3

Some of the family were found in Whitworth, Durham in early years. "According to the Boldon book, this manor was held by Thomas de Acley, by the service of a quarter of a knight's fee." 2

Early History of the Ackley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ackley research. Another 295 words (21 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1273, 1500, 1610 and 1769 are included under the topic Early Ackley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ackley Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Ackley has been recorded under many different variations, including Ackley, Acley, Acle, Ackle, Aclie, Acklie, Acly and others.

Early Notables of the Ackley family

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

Ackley Ranking

In the United States, the name Ackley is the 4,707^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 4

Ackley migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Ackley or a variant listed above:

Ackley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Nicholas Ackley, who arrived in Connecticut in 1655 5
William Ackley, who landed in Virginia in 1664 5

Ackley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. Ackley, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Ackley (post 1700) +

John A. Ackley (1854-1933), American Democratic Party politician, Justice of the peace; Member of New Jersey State Senate from Cumberland County, 1914-16 6
William M. Ackley, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Alabama, 1896 6
Sidney E. Ackley (1863-1942), American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from East Haddam, 1917-18 6
Patricia A. Ackley, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Oregon, 2004, 2008 6
Mrs. Levi Ackley, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Oklahoma, 1944 6
Julius M. Ackley, American politician, Postmaster at Ithaca, New York, 1849-53 6
Jonathan M. Ackley, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Jefferson County 1st District, 1862 6
John M. Ackley, American politician, First Selectman of Chatham, Connecticut, 1888 6
Hugh Gardner Ackley (1915-1998), American politician, U.S. Ambassador to Italy, 1968-69 6
Henry M. Ackley, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Wisconsin State Senate, 1882-83 6
... (Another 14 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
"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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, August 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html