Contents [hide]

Oakley History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Oakley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the name Oakley date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Oakley family lived in one of the various settlements named Oakley throughout England, or in Oakley Street in Gloucestershire, Oakleigh in Kent, or Ockley in Surrey. The surname Oakley 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 Oakley family

The surname Oakley was first found in Shropshire where this "ancient family descended from Philip, who is the reign of Henry III., was Lord of Oakley in the parish of Bishop's Castle, from whence he assumed his name, and which has ever since been the inheritance of his descendants." 1 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: Walter de Oclee in Wiltshire; Godwin de Ocle in Suffolk; and Robert de Ocle in Oxfordshire. The Feet if Fins of 1415, list Thomas Acle or Ocle as Sheriff of Norwich at that time. 3

Early History of the Oakley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Oakley research. Another 142 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1327, 1362, 1380, 1500, 1541, 1624, 1635, 1653, 1659, 1660, 1678, 1695 and 1720 are included under the topic Early Oakley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Oakley 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 Oakley 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 Oakley include: Oakley, Oakeley, Oakly, Okly, Ockley and others.

Early Notables of the Oakley family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

William Oakley, M.P. for Bishop's Castle in 1660

Oakley World Ranking

In the United States, the name Oakley is the 1,752^nd most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 4 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Oakley is ranked the 729^th most popular surname with an estimated 59 people with that name. 5 And in Australia, the name Oakley is the 931^st popular surname with an estimated 4,246 people with that name. 6 The United Kingdom ranks Oakley as 630^th with 10,438 people. 7

Oakley migration to the United States +

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 Oakley or a variant listed above:

Oakley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

George Oakley, who settled in Virginia in 1654
John Oakley, who arrived in Maryland in 1670 8

Oakley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Alice Oakley, who settled in Virginia in 1729

Oakley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Oakley, aged 43, who landed in Maryland in 1812 8
George Oakley, who arrived in New York in 1846 8
B Oakley, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 8
Henry Oakley, aged 19, who landed in New York in 1854 8
William Oakley, aged 30, who arrived in New York, NY in 1855 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Oakley migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Oakley Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Arthur Oakley, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1840
Alice Oakley, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1843
Miss Mary Oakley who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Sobraon" departing 8th May 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 29th June 1847 but she died on board 9

Oakley migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Oakley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Elizabeth Oakley, British Convict who was convicted in Hereford, Herefordshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Earl Cornwallis" in August 1800, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. Thomas Oakley, British Convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl St Vincent" on 20th April 1826, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11
John Edward Oakley, English convict from London, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on September 21, 1826, settling in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. Charles Oakley, English convict who was convicted in Worcestershire, England for life, transported aboard the "Florentia" on 11th August 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
Mr. William Oakley, (b. 1807), aged 24, English wheel wright who was convicted in Berkshire, England for life for machine breaking, transported aboard the "Eleanor" on 26th June 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Oakley 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:

Oakley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mrs. Charlotte Oakley, (b. 1830), aged 28, English settler from Norfolk travelling from London aboard the ship "Strathallan" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st January 1859 15
Mr. Alfred Oakley, (b. 1831), aged 27, English labourer from Norfolk travelling from London aboard the ship "Strathallan" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st January 1859 15
Mr. Robert Oakley, (b. 1833), aged 25, English labourer from Norfolk travelling from London aboard the ship "Strathallan" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st January 1859 15
Mr. John Oakley, (b. 1852), aged 6, English settler from Norfolk travelling from London aboard the ship "Strathallan" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st January 1859 15
Mr. Robert Oakley, (b. 1854), aged 4, English settler from Norfolk travelling from London aboard the ship "Strathallan" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st January 1859 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Oakley migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 16

Oakley Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Francis Oakley, who arrived in Barbados in 1669

Contemporary Notables of the name Oakley (post 1700) +

Annie Oakley (1860-1926), born Phoebe Orlando Ann Mosey, an American sharpshooter and exhibition shooter, star of Buffalo Bill's Wild West
Phyllis Elliott Oakley (1934-2022), American diplomat, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration (1994–1997) and Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research (1997–1999)
William M. Oakley (b. 1931), American politician, Mayor of Romulus, Michigan, 1977-83, 1995-2001; Defeated, 2001
Zopher P. Oakley, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Suffolk County 2nd District, 1852
Walter Oakley, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kansas, 1856 17
Timothy Oakley, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Columbia County, 1811-12
Thomas H. Oakley, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from New York County, 1845
Thomas Jackson Oakley (1783-1857), American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Dutchess County, 1815-16, 1817-20; New York State Attorney General, 1819-21; Appointed 1819; Superior Court Judge in New York, 1828-47
Ronald Oakley, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Michigan, 1984 17
Robert Bigger Oakley (b. 1934), American politician, U.S. Ambassador to Zaire, 1979-82; Somalia, 1982-84; Pakistan, 1988-91
... (Another 37 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Oakley family +

Empress of Ireland

Mr. George Oakley (d. 1914), Canadian Third Class Passenger from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 18

Hillcrest Coal Mine

Mr. Joseph Oakley (1870-1914), English Miner from Coasley, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom who worked in the Hillcrest Coal Mine, Alberta, Canada and died in the mine collapse 19

The Oakley Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Non timeo sed caveo
Motto Translation: I do not fear, but am careful.

Citations +

Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 92)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-cornwallis
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-st-vincent
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Albion voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1826 with 192 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1826
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/florentia
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eleanor
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, November 24) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
List Of Miners - Hillcrest Mine Disaster Data. (Retrieved 2014, June 24) . Retrieved from http://www.hillcrestminedisaster.com/data/index.php?title=List_Of_Miners