Lilay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The history of the Lilay name began with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from the popular female personal name Elizabeth. The name Lilay is a metronymic surname, which is derived from the name of the mother. Occasionally, the surname is derived from residence in the settlement of Lilley in Hertfordshire or in the place called Lilly in Berkshire. In this case, the name Lilay 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 Lilay family

The surname Lilay was first found in Worcestershire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Lilay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lilay research. Another 138 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1553, 1560, 1578, 1580, 1602, 1606, 1618, 1652, 1680, 1681 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Lilay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lilay Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Lilay family name include Lillie, Lilie, Lilley, Lilly and others.

Early Notables of the Lilay family

Distinguished members of the family include Sir Peter Lely (1618-1680), born Pieter van der Faes, a Dutch painter whose career was nearly all spent in England, where he became the dominant portrait painter to the court; John Lyly (Lilly or Lylie; c.1553-1606), an English writer, poet, dramatist, playwright, and politician, best known for his books "Euphues, The...
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lilay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Lilay family to Ireland

Some of the Lilay family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 70 words (5 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 Lilay family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Lilay surname or a spelling variation of the name include : John Lilie who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1738; Richard Lilley settled in Virginia in 1656; James Lilley settled in Virginia in 1774; Henry Lilley settled in Virginia in 1642.