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The surname is one of the many surnames of French origin that can be found in England. The surname Fly is derived from "Flageum," a French village named for Flavius, the owner of an estate in the region. This village eventually became known as "Flagi" (pronounced "flah-hee"). The surname Fly was first borne by emigrants from this region to England.
The surname Fly was first found in Hampshire, where the ancestral home of the Fly family is thought to be located. The name was first borne by brothers known as "de Flagi" who had immigrated from the region of Flagi in France.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fly research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1160 and 1726 are included under the topic Early Fly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Fly, Flye, Flythe and others.
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was
In the United States, the name Fly is the 12,222nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1
Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Fly or a variant listed above: