Contents [hide]

Motley History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Motley Surname History

Origins Available:
England
Wales
Ireland

The surname Motley most likely began as a nickname, for someone who wore clothes that were "motley," or varied in color. However, many surnames were taken from a place where the family lived and Motley might be one such surname, taken from Motley Hill in Rainham, Kent.

Early Origins of the Motley family

The surname Motley was first found in Yorkshire, where the first record of the family was Thomas de Motlawe who was listed there in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 1 The surname Motley may be a nickname, for someone who wore clothes that were "motley," or varied in color. 2 However, many surnames were taken from a place where the family lived and Motley might be one such surname, taken from Motley Hill in Rainham, Kent.

Early History of the Motley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Motley research. Another 35 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1525 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Motley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Motley Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Motley, Mottley, Motly, Motlowe, Motlawe, Mutlowe and many more.

Early Notables of the Motley family

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

Motley Ranking

In the United States, the name Motley is the 2,628^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Motley family to Ireland

Some of the Motley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Motley migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Motley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Motley, who landed in Virginia in 1665 4
John Motley, who arrived in Virginia in 1666 4
Robert Motley, who arrived in Maryland in 1674 4
Mary Motley, who arrived in Maryland in 1678 4

Motley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Tho Motley, who arrived in Virginia in 1703 4
John Motley, who landed in New England in 1738 4

Motley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Peter Motley, aged 21, who landed in New York in 1812 4
Peter Motley, 21, who arrived in New York in 1812
W.G. Motley, aged 40, who settled in America, in 1893
Louisa Motley, aged 27, who landed in America, in 1894
William G. Motley, aged 40, who landed in America, in 1895
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Motley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

John Motley, aged 29, who landed in America from Liverpool, in 1904
James Motley, aged 39, who immigrated to America, in 1905
Thornton N. Motley, aged 47, who immigrated to the United States, in 1907
John Lathrop Motley, aged 31, who immigrated to the United States, in 1910
Warren Motley, aged 27, who immigrated to the United States, in 1910
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Motley migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Motley Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Walter Motley, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749-1752
Walter Motley, Margaret Motley, and Susan Motley, who all settled in Nova Scotia in 1750
Margaret Motley, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
Susan Motley, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750

Motley migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Motley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Joseph Motley, aged 20, a shoemaker, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Countess of Kintore" in 1875
Mary A. Motley, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ashmore" in 1882

Contemporary Notables of the name Motley (post 1700) +

Constance Baker Motley (1921-2005), American civil rights activist, lawyer, judge, state senator, President of Manhattan, New York City
Willard Motley (1909-1965), American writer
Archibald John Motley Jr. (1891-1981), American harlem renaissance painter
Ronald L. Motley (1944-2013), American trial attorney, and a principal of Motley Rice LLC
Langhorne Anthony Motley (b. 1938), American diplomat, former United States Ambassador to Brazil (1981–1983)
Dr Eric Lamar Motley (b. 1972), American Vice President of the Aspen Institute
Darryl DeWayne Motley (b. 1960), American former Major League Baseball outfielder
Marion Motley (1920-1999), American Football fullback and linebacker, inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968
John Lothrop Motley (1814-1877), American historian and diplomat
Clifford T. Motley, American politician, Mayor of De Soto, Missouri, 1973 5
... (Another 15 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
"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 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html