The name Caslay is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in the settlement of Kearsley in Lancashire. The surname Caslay belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxonhabitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.
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Early Origins of the Caslay family
The surname Caslay was first found in Lancashire at Kearsley, now part of Greater Manchester. The first records of the place were found in 1187 when it was spelt Cherselawe and a few years later as Kereleie (c. 1220. ) The name literally means "clearing where cress grows" having derived from the Old English words caerse + leah. 1 There is another Kearsley, a township in the parish of Stamfordham, in Northumberland, but this township has remained rather small in comparison as a census in the late 1800s listed only 11 inhabitants, while the former township in Lancashire had 3,436 inhabitants in the same census.
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Early History of the Caslay family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Caslay research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1210 is included under the topic Early Caslay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Caslay Spelling Variations
It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Caslay are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Caslay include: Kearsley, Kearsey, Keasley, Kersley and others.
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Early Notables of the Caslay family
More information is included under the topic Early Caslay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Caslay family
Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Caslay or a variant listed above: James Kearsley settled in Philadelphia in 1859.
England
