Show ContentsAkerley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the name Akerley date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Akerley family lived in Buckinghamshire. The surname Akerley derives from the Old English word Aker-leah, which means "acre meadow owner." 1

Early Origins of the Akerley family

The surname Akerley 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 Akerley family

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

Akerley Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Akerley are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Akerley include: Ackerly, Ackerley, Acerly, Akerley, Akeley, Acle, Ackle, Acley, Acly and many more.

Early Notables of the Akerley 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 Akerley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Akerley migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Akerley or a variant listed above:

Akerley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Lucy D. Akerley, aged 20, who immigrated to the United States, in 1903
  • Mrs. Samuel M. Akerley, aged 50, who landed in America, in 1903
  • Myra C. Akerley, aged 53, who settled in Reading, Massachusetts, in 1915
  • Oliver L. Akerley, aged 57, who immigrated to Reading, Massachusetts, in 1915

Akerley migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Akerley Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Akerley (post 1700) +

  • Irvin William Akerley CM (1904-1995), Canadian businessman and politician from Pugwash, Nova Scotia


  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
  3. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X


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