Farelay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the bearers of the Farelay family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in Farley which was in several counties including Berkshire, Derbyshire, Hampshire, and Staffordshire. The surname Farelay is an habitation name, which form a broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. Farley was originally derived from a pre-existing name for a town, village, parish, or farmstead.

Early Origins of the Farelay family

The surname Farelay was first found in Somerset where the first record of the family was Adam Farlegh who was listed there during the reign of Edward III. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Jacob de Farlegh in Wiltshire and Hugh de Farleye in Suffolk. 1

Early History of the Farelay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Farelay research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1182, 1332, 1636, 1659 and 1714 are included under the topic Early Farelay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Farelay Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Farelay include Farley, Farleigh and others.

Early Notables of the Farelay family

Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Farelay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Farelay family to Ireland

Some of the Farelay family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Farelay family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled 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 Farelay or a variant listed above: Thomas Farley and his wife, Jane, purchased land in Virginia in 1623; John Farley settled in Charlestown Massachusetts in 1630; another John settled in New England in 1637.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)