Whytelay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Whytelay is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Whytelay family lived in Devon, in the township of Whitleigh. Today Whiteley Bank, also spelled "Whitely Bank", is a small hamlet on the Isle of Wight, England and Whiteley is a community in the county of Hampshire founded in the 1980s.

Early Origins of the Whytelay family

The surname Whytelay was first found in Devon where they held a family seat from 1066, and Robert d'Aumale held the village of Whitleigh from Bishop Odo. The village is now a part of the city of Plymouth, and conjectural descent from Robert is most likely.

Early History of the Whytelay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Whytelay research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1340, 1618, 1638, 1660, 1681, 1685, 1689, 1690 and 1697 are included under the topic Early Whytelay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Whytelay Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Whytelay are characterized by many spelling variations. 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. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Whytelay include Whitley, Whiteley, Whitleigh, Whytleigh, Whyteleigh, Wytley, Whitlie and many more.

Early Notables of the Whytelay family

Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Whytelay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Whytelay family to Ireland

Some of the Whytelay family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Whytelay family

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Whytelay, or a variant listed above: Mitchell Whitley, who settled in Virginia in 1635; Richard Whitley, who settled in Virginia in 1646; Thomas Whitley, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1682.