Schley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The origin of this name is somewhat uncertain; it almost certainly comes from the Old High German word "sleht," but this word has two different meanings. The first is "direct or natural," so the name may have originated as a nickname for someone who was straightforward in his manner. The other meaning is "flat," and there are several areas around Germany named for the word, so the name may have been given to a man from any of these places.

Early Origins of the Schley family

The surname Schley was first found in Austria, where the name Schley became noted for its many branches in the region, each house acquiring a status and influence which was envied by the princes of the region. In their later history, bearers of the name became a power unto themselves and were elevated to the ranks of nobility as they grew into this most influential family. The origin of this name is somewhat uncertain; it almost certainly comes from the Old High German word "sleht," but this word has two different meanings. The first is "direct or natural," so the name may have originated as a nickname for someone who was straightforward in his manner. The other meaning is "flat," and there are several areas around Germany named for the word, so the name may have been given to a man from any of these places.

Early History of the Schley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Schley research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1387 is included under the topic Early Schley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Schley Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Schlicht, Schlecht, Schlichte, Schlichter, Schlichtmann, Schliche and many more.

Early Notables of the Schley family

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

Schley Ranking

In the United States, the name Schley is the 11,959^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Schley migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Schley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johann Peter Schley, who landed in New York, NY in 1710-1714 2
John Thomas Schley, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1737 2
Thomas Schley, who arrived in Maryland in 1760 2

Schley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Karl Schley, who arrived in America in 1853 2
Miss Schley, who landed in Brazil in 1890 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Schley (post 1700) +

Major-General Julian Larcombe Schley (1880-1965), American Assistant Co-ordinator of Inter-American Affairs (1943-1945) 3
William Schley (1786-1858), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Georgia State House of Representatives, 1830; U.S. Representative from Georgia at-large, 1833-35; Resigned 1835; Governor of Georgia, 1835-37 4
Mrs. W. L. Schley, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Louisiana, 1956 4
Reeve Schley (1881-1960), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from New Jersey, 1936, 1940, 1944; Lend-Lease Administrator in charge of Soviet supplies, 1942 4
Kate Prentice Schley (1885-1970), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from New Jersey, 1932; Member of Republican National Committee from New Jersey, 1944-49 4
J. M. Schley Jr., American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Old Lyme, 1920 4
Gilmer Schley, American politician, Mayor of Frederick, Maryland, 1919-22 4
Buchanan Schley, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Maryland, 1888 4
Eleanor Schley Todd (1912-1990), American Republican politician, Member of Republican National Committee from New Jersey, 1953-61; Vice-Chair of Republican National Committee, 1956-59 5
Henry Schley Ervay (1834-1911), American politician, Mayor of Dallas, Texas, 1870-72 6

Citations +

"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)
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2014, March 26) Julian Schley. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Schley/Julian_Larcombe/USA.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html