| ![Show Contents]() Higley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England Early Origins of the Higley familyThe surname Higley was first found in Worcestershire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Hagley. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Hagley held by Roger, a Norman noble, under tenant of William FitzAnsculf who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. Hagley Hall, a Palladian mansion, was later famous for its paintings. Early History of the Higley familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Higley research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1221 and 1395 are included under the topic Early Higley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Higley Spelling VariationsSpelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Higley have been found, including Hagley, Haggley, Haggeley, Hagleigh, Hagelea and others. Early Notables of the Higley familyMore information is included under the topic Early Higley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Higley RankingIn the United States, the name Higley is the 8,292nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2
 Higley migration to the United States | + |
For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Higley were among those contributors:
Higley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Susan Higley, who arrived in Virginia in 1660 3
- John Higley, who landed in Connecticut in 1664 3
- John Higley, who settled in Boston in 1678
Higley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- B. B. Higley, who arrived in San Francisco in 1852
- W. L. Higley, who arrived in San Francisco in 1852
- W. Higley, who arrived in San Francisco in 1852
| Higley migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Higley Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century- Daniel Higley, who settled in Ontario in 1861
- Daniel L. Higley, who settled in Ontario in 1861
| Contemporary Notables of the name Higley (post 1700) | + |
- Brewster Martin Higley VI (1823-1911), American surgeon, best known writing the poem, "The Western Home" in 1872 and published under the title "Oh, Give Me a Home Where the Buffalo Roam"
- Dena Higley (b. 1958), American Daytime Emmy Award and Writers Guild of America Award winning soap opera writer
- Brian Higley, American landscape architect and Modern site designer
- William C. Higley, American politician, First Selectman of Branford, Connecticut, 1924 4
- Ted Higley, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Washington, 1996, 2000 4
- Obed Higley Jr., American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Simsbury, 1829, 1835 4
- Homer Higley, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1924 4
- Harvey V. Higley, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Wisconsin, 1952, 1960 4
- Harvey J. Higley, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Wisconsin, 1944 4
- Dean Kareem Higley, American Libertarian politician, Candidate for Texas State Board of Education 3rd District, 2010 4
- ... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
- 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, January 20) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Higley migration to the United States 
Higley migration to Canada 
