Radlay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Radlay comes from when the family resided in the parish of Radley in the county of Berkshire. The surname Radlay is both topographic and habitational since it was originally derived from the Old English word Redleah, referring to those individuals who lived by the reed stream, and also refers to the place-name in Berkshire. 1 Today Radley is a village and civil parish northwest of the centre of Abingdon, Oxfordshire. Originally in Berkshire, it was transferred in 1974. 2

Early Origins of the Radlay family

The surname Radlay was first found in Essex, where the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: Roger de Redlee; Warin de Redleye; and Richard de Redlege as all residing there at that time. 3 But the name likely went back further as Radeleáh was the form found in a 10th century charter in Wiltshire. 4

Early History of the Radlay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Radlay research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1671 is included under the topic Early Radlay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Radlay Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Radlay has been recorded under many different variations, including Radley, Radleigh, Radlee, Radlie, Radle and others.

Early Notables of the Radlay family

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

Migration of the Radlay family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Radlay or a variant listed above: Richard Radley, who came to Virginia in 1649; John Radley, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1727; and Thomas Radley, who came to New England in 1765.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
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)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print