Loksly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the name Loksly date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Loksly family lived in the region of Loxley in Staffordshire. 1 Loksly is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Loksly family

The surname Loksly was first found in Staffordshire at Loxley, a liberty, in the parish and union of Uttoxeter, S. division of the hundred of Totmonslow. Alternatively the family could have originated in the parish of Loxley in Warwickshire. The latter was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Locheslei 2 and literally meant "woodland clearing of a man called "Locc," from the Old English personal name + "leah." 3 Interestingly, "Charles I. slept at the old mansion-house of Loxley the night before the battle of Edge-Hill, and many of those who were slain in the engagement were buried in the churchyard here." 4

Richard de Lokesley, taillour, temp. 14 Edward III was listed in the Freemen of York and the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Thomas de Lokeslay. 5

John de Lokkesleye was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275 and a few years later, John de Loxelegh was listed in the Feet of Fines for Surrey (1315-1316.) 6

Early History of the Loksly family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Loksly research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1180 is included under the topic Early Loksly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Loksly Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Loksly are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Loksly include: Loxley, Lockley, Locksley and others.

Early Notables of the Loksly family

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

Migration of the Loksly family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Loksly or a variant listed above: Charles Lockley, who settled in Virginia in 1638; Richard Lockley, who arrived in Virginia in 1635; and Joseph Lockly, who arrived in Virginia in 1651..

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)