Parle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Parle is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in the county of Hertfordshire, where they took their name from the parish of Barley. This parish dates back to Saxon times when it known as Beranlei c. 1050. By the time of the Domesday Book of 1086, it was known as Berlai and probably meant "woodland clearing of a man called Be(o)ra," from the Old Egnlish personal name + "leah." 1

The township of Barley in Lancashire dates back to at least 1324 when it was known as Baylegh. 1 It has a similar origin but in early days had a different spelling.

Early Origins of the Parle family

The surname Parle was first found in Herefordshire where the Saxon name Leofric de Berle was recorded c. 975. 2 In Warwickshire, Jordan Barlie was listed there in the Assize Rolls for 1221. In Cambridgeshire, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 include William de Berele. 3

According to Reaney, Barleyman is an interesting variant. It is a "metonymy for a maker or seller of barley-bread or cakes." and in this case, Josce Barlibred who was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Norfolk for 1185 is the first entry. 2

Early History of the Parle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Parle research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1451, 1466, 1487, 1501, 1521, 1529, 1557, 1565, 1591 and 1614 are included under the topic Early Parle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Parle 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 Parle family name include Barley, Barly, Barely, Barle, Barlay and others.

Early Notables of the Parle family

Notables of the family at this time include William Barley (1451-1521) of Albury, Hertfordshire. He was attainted of treason for his support of Perkin Warbeck and lost all his lands. Pardoned in 1501, he was once again in possession of his lands, including the manors of Wicken, Elsenham, Albury, Wickhamstead and Moulsham. he was High Sheriff of...
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Parle Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Parle family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, 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 Parle surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Anthony Barley who settled in Virginia in 1653; Elizabeth Barley settled in Barbados in 1654; Michael Barle arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1751.

Contemporary Notables of the name Parle (post 1700) +

John Joseph Parle (1920-1943), United States Naval Reserve officer and a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions in World War II, his mother Mrs. Harry V. Parle sponsored the eponymous the USS Parle (DE-708), a Rudderow-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy
Michael Parle, British actor and a founding member of the production company Dark Window Media, Best Actor Foreign Feature Fright Night Film Festival (2016)
Stephen "Stevie" Parle (b. 1985), British chef from Birmingham, Guardian Young Chef of the Year (2010)
Luan Parle, Irish singer and songwriter, awarded Meteor Award Best Irish Female(2007), Irish Tatler Award Women Of The Year Music(2007) and The Big Buzz Awards Most Stylish Female(2008)

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)