Show ContentsHaiggely History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the bearers of the Haiggely family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in one of a variety of similarly-named places. Headley in Hampshire is the oldest. The surname Haiggely belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Haiggely family

The surname Haiggely was first found in Shropshire and Hampshire. One of the first records of the name was Siward de Hedeleia who was listed in 1148, in Winton, Hampshire. Stephen de Hedleye was listed the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327. 1 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Alan de Hedleg, and Nicholas de Heddeleg in Shropshire and the Yorkshire Poll Tax Records of 1379 list Willelmus de Hedlay and Margareta de Hedelay. 2

Early History of the Haiggely family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Haiggely research. Another 173 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1273 and 1832 are included under the topic Early Haiggely History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Haiggely 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 Haiggely include Headley, Heggeley, Headly, Hedley, Hedly, Hedlegg, Hedleigh, Headlee, Headleigh, Hegeley and many more.

Early Notables of the Haiggely family

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

Migration of the Haiggely 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 Haiggely or a variant listed above: Edward and Theo Hedley, who settled in Bermuda in 1635; Will Headly settled in Georgia in 1734; John Headley settled in Maryland in 1722; John, Edward, and Jacob Headley arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1865..



  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)


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