Cantelay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The origins of the Cantelay name come from when the Anglo-Saxon tribes ruled over Britain. The name Cantelay was originally derived from a family having lived in the village of Cantley in either the counties of Norfolk or Yorkshire. Both parishes date back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when they were known as Cantelai (in Norfolk) and Canatela (South Yorkshire.) 1

Early Origins of the Cantelay family

The surname Cantelay was first found in Norfolk, where Wimer de Cantele was listed in the Feet of Fines for 1198. 2 The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include Rogerus de Cantelay as holding lands there at that time. 3A very rare name the next entry we found was in 1581 where Peter Cantley was listed as a Freeman of York. 2

In Scotland, the family is from "the Yorkshire place of the name. William Cantuli was admitted burgess of Aberdeen, 1452, and William Cantuly or Cantuli held land there before 1497. Andrew Cantly was admitted burgess in 1508. Master John Cantly or Cantely appears as archdeacon of St. Andrews, 1524 ant 1541. Gilbert Cantlie, witness in Shetland, 1626." 4

Early History of the Cantelay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cantelay research. Another 170 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1198, 1379, 1452, 1500, 1581, 1626, 1790, 1797, 1806 and 1854 are included under the topic Early Cantelay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cantelay Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Cantelay include Cantlay, Cantley, Cantele, Cantelay, Cantuli, Cantlie, Gantlet, Gantley and many more.

Early Notables of the Cantelay family

Notables of the family at this time include John Cantley, the Archdeacon of St. Andrews in Scotland in the early 1500s, and Sir Proby Thomas Cantley, a lieutenant-colonel in the Bengal artillery and director of the Ganges Canal who was knighted in 1854.Henry John Gauntlett, eldest son of the Rev. Henry Gauntlett, was born in...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cantelay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cantelay family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Alexander Cantley who arrived in Philadelphia in 1852.

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)