Contents [hide]

Wiley History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Wiley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The name Wiley arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Wiley family lived in Villey, in Calvados, Normandy. "Or perhaps from the Norman fief of Vesli, as 'Hugue and Guillaume de Vesli' are entered on the Dives Roll. He held in Snidal, Newton, and Ackworth; and two hundred years later we find his descendant of the same name continuing to be the tenant of the Lacies in Yorkshire." 1

Early Origins of the Wiley family

The surname Wiley was first found in Warwickshire where John de Wili, de Wylegh was listed in the Pipe Rolls for 1201 and later in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1230. Years later, William de Wyly was listed in Warwickshire in 1299 and Simon Wylegh was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327. Richard Wyleye was listed in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1390. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Richard de Wileye in Cambridgeshire; Roger de Wylie in Bedfordshire; and Hugh de Wyly in Wiltshire. 3

Early History of the Wiley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wiley research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1449, 1590, 1618, 1642, 1643, 1645, 1663 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Wiley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wiley Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Wiley, Wylie, Whyley, Wyley, Wilie, Wyllie and others.

Early Notables of the Wiley family

Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wiley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wiley Ranking

In the United States, the name Wiley is the 593^rd most popular surname with an estimated 49,740 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Wiley family to Ireland

Some of the Wiley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 227 words (16 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wiley migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Wiley or a variant listed above:

Wiley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Ann Wiley, who landed in Maryland in 1674 5

Wiley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Sarah Wiley, who landed in New England in 1718 5
Betty Wiley, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1766 5
James Wiley, his wife and two sisters, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1766
James Wiley, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1766 5
Jane Wiley, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1766 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wiley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Wiley, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1807 5
Richard Wiley, who arrived in South Carolina in 1808 5
Paul Wiley, aged 78, who landed in America in 1822 5
Joseph Wiley, aged 28, who landed in America in 1822 5
Paul Wiley aged 78, who arrived in New York in 1822 with his family
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wiley migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Wiley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Thomas Wiley, aged 30, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Lismoyne"
Catherine Wiley, aged 18, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Thomas Arbuthnot"
Sarah Wiley, aged 19, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Thomas Arbuthnot"

Wiley migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Wiley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Thomas Wiley, who landed in Tamaki, Auckland, New Zealand in 1843

Wiley migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 6

Wiley Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Isaac Wiley, who settled in Barbados in 1663

Contemporary Notables of the name Wiley (post 1700) +

William T. Wiley (1937-2021), American artist, known for his drawing, painting, sculpture, film, performance, and pinball
Samira Denise Wiley (b. 1987), American actress best known for Orange Is the New Black and The Handmaid's Tale, she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Stephen Bradford Wiley (1929-2015), American Democratic Party politician, Member of the New Jersey Senate (1974-1978)
George Wiley (1881-1954), American sliver and bronze medalist for cycling at the 1904 Summer Games
Lee Wiley (1908-1975), American popular jazz singer in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s
William Wiley, American sailor of the United States Navy, eponym of the USS Wiley (DD-597), a Fletcher-class destroyer
Marcellus Vernon Wiley (b. 1974), retired American NFL football defensive end, current co-host of SportsNation on ESPN 2
Charles Wiley (d. 1826), American founder of John Wiley & Sons, Inc., a global publishing company in 1807, best known for their For Dummies books
Autrey Nell Wiley (1901-1990), American literary critic and professor
John Cooper Wiley (1893-1967), American Foreign Service officer and ambassador
... (Another 67 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Wiley family +

Monongah Mine

Mr. George Wiley (b. 1869), American coal miner who was in mine 6 at the Monongah mine on 6th December 1907 when it exploded and collapsed; he died 7

The Wiley Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fides
Motto Translation: Faith.

Citations +

Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
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)
"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)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Monongah Mining Disaster retrieved on 8th August 2021. (Retrieved fromhttps://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/monongah.htm).