Contents [hide]

Willey History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Willey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

Willey is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Willey 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 Willey family

The surname Willey 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 Willey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Willey 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 Willey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Willey Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Wiley, Wylie, Whyley, Wyley, Wilie, Wyllie and others.

Early Notables of the Willey family

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

Willey Ranking

In the United States, the name Willey is the 2,357^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Willey family to Ireland

Some of the Willey 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.

Willey migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Willey or a variant listed above:

Willey Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Allen Willey, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1633 5
Robert Willey, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 5
Edward Willey, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1686 5

Willey Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Willey, who arrived in South Carolina in 1772 5
Peter Willey, who landed in South Carolina in 1772 5

Willey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Willey, who landed in New York in 1822 5
Mr. Edward Willey, (b. 1819), aged 23, Cornish miner departing from Falmouth aboard the ship "Orient" arriving in the United States on 19 May 1842 6
J Willey, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 5
C B Willey, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 5
E W Willey, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Willey Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Cameron L. Willey, who landed in America, in 1905
Chester Willey, aged 53, who landed in America, in 1907
Clara Willey, aged 30, who immigrated to America from Plymouth, England, in 1908
C. E. Willey, aged 54, who settled in America, in 1908
Charles Henry Willey, aged 21, who immigrated to the United States from Bradford, England, in 1909
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Willey migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Willey Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

William Willey, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749

Willey migration to Australia +

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

Willey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Willey, British Convict who was convicted in Essex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 27th October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
George Willey, English convict from Northumberland, who was transported aboard the "America" on April 4, 1829, settling in New South Wales, Australia 8
Elizabeth Willey, aged 18, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Emily" 9
Elizabeth Willey, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Emily" in 1849 9
Samuel Willey, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Mary Ann" in 1849 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Willey 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:

Willey Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Noah Willey, (b. 1855), aged 19, English settler from Somerset travelling from London aboard the ship "Sussex" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 17th July 1874 11
William Willey, aged 21, a gardener, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "India" in 1875 12
George Willey, aged 23, a farm labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1876
F. Willey, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "British King" in 1883
Miss Mary L. Willey, (b. 1838), aged 48, Cornish domestic servant departing on 18th December 1886 aboard the ship "Ruapehu" going to Invercargill, New Zealand arriving in port in 1887 13

Contemporary Notables of the name Willey (post 1700) +

Gordon Willey (1913-2002), American archaeologist
Carlton Francis Willey (1931-2009), American former professional baseball player
Calvin Willey (1776-1858), American politician
Alan Willey (b. 1956), American soccer player inducted to the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2003
N B Willey (1838-1921), American politician
Chauncey M. Willey, American politician, Mayor of Barre, Vermont, 1953-54 14
Calvin Willey (1776-1858), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Tolland, 1820-21; Member of Connecticut State Senate at-large, 1823-24; U.S. Senator from Connecticut, 1825-31 14
Asa Willey, American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Ellington, 1820, 1822, 1825-26, 1828-29, 1834, 1836-37 14
Arthur C. Willey, American Republican politician, Candidate for New Hampshire State House of Representatives from Newmarket, 1938 14
Agnes K. Willey, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Massachusetts, 1924 14
... (Another 33 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Willey family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. James H Willey, British Leading Signalman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 15
Mr. Ernest Willey, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 15

HMS Repulse

Mr. Leslie Frederick J Willey, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 16

RMS Lusitania

Mrs. Catherine E. Willey, American 1st Class Passenger from Lake Forest, Illinois, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 17

RMS Titanic

Mr. Edward Willey (d. 1912), aged 18, English Third Class passenger from Market Drayton, Shropshire who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 18

The Willey 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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 26) America voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1829 with 176 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/america/1829
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The EMILY 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Emily.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The MARY ANN 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849MaryAnn.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to other ports, 1872 - 84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html