Holely History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The distinguished surname Holely emerged among the industrious people of Flanders, which was an important trading partner and political ally of Britain during the Middle Ages. As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Flemish surnames of this type frequently are prefixed by de la or de le, which mean of the or from the. The Holely family originally lived near a prominent group of holly shrubs. The surname Holely is derived from the Old English words holi, holie, and holin, which in turn come from the Old English words holegn and holen, which mean holly. The surname Holely belongs to the class of topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees.

Early Origins of the Holely family

The surname Holely was first found in Norfolk where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Holely family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Holely research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1602, 1679, 1686 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Holely History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Holely Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Holly, Holley, Hollie and others.

Early Notables of the Holely family

Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Holely Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Holely family to Ireland

Some of the Holely family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 79 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Holely family

Study of Passenger and Immigration lists has revealed that among early immigrants bearing the Holely surname were: John Holly settled in Virginia in 1650; along with Tyonll in Virginia in 1665; Elizabeth Holly settled in New England in 1635; Lionel Holley settled in Virginia in 1642.