Show ContentsAikerly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Aikerly

What does the name Aikerly mean?

The history of the Aikerly family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in Buckinghamshire. The surname Aikerly derives from the Old English word Aker-leah, which means "acre meadow owner." 1

Early Origins of the Aikerly family

The surname Aikerly was first found in Buckinghamshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times. The name literally mane "dweller at the Acre-Lea, i.e., a common field divided into plots of various sizes. [Middle English aker, Old English aecer, a division of land +M.E. ley, Old English leah, a lea, field]." 2

Early History of the Aikerly family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Aikerly research. Another 245 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1273, 1300, 1500, 1610, 1665, 1685, 1691, 1721, 1725, 1740 and 1769 are included under the topic Early Aikerly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Aikerly Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Aikerly include Ackerly, Ackerley, Acerly, Akerley, Akeley, Acle, Ackle, Acley, Acly and many more.

Early Notables of the Aikerly family

Distinguished members of the family include Roger Acherley (1665?-1740), Welsh lawyer, constitutional writer, and politician, the son and heir of John Acherley of Stanwardine, or Stottesden, Shropshire, where he was the representative of a long-established family. Roger was admitted a student of the Inner Temple on 6 March 1685, and called to the bar on 24 May 1691. For some years Acherley was engaged in disputing the will of Thomas Vernon, who died in 1721, by...
Another 76 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Aikerly Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Aikerly family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Aikerly or a variant listed above: Henry Ackerly, who sailed to New Haven, Connecticut in 1640. Nicholas Ackley sailed to Connecticut in 1655; and Joseph Ackerly to Philadelphia in 1865. Henry Akerly arrived in New Haven, Conn in 1640. Robert Akerly arrived in Rhode Island in 1651..



  1. Surnames from the U.S.A. and Canada. Family Name Researchers, Inc., Toronto, 1975.
  2. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print


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