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![Show Contents]() Rodlay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The name Rodlay is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in the parish of Radley in the county of Berkshire. The surname Rodlay 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 Rodlay familyThe surname Rodlay 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 Rodlay familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rodlay research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1671 is included under the topic Early Rodlay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Rodlay Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Rodlay 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. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Rodlay include: Radley, Radleigh, Radlee, Radlie, Radle and others. Early Notables of the Rodlay familyMore information is included under the topic Early Rodlay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Rodlay familyMany 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 Rodlay 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.
- 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
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