Hadley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 


Hadley is a name whose history is connected to the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Hadley family once lived in Hadleigh or Hadley, a place-name found in numerous locations in England. The root of these names is common, however; they are all derived from the Old English roots hæth and leah, which taken together mean "forest clearing where the heather grows." 1

Early Origins of the Hadley family

The surname Hadley was first found in Essex at Hadleigh, a parish, in the union and hundred of Rochford. 2

Over in Suffolk, Hadleigh was a market-town and parish, in the union and hundred of Cosford. "This town, which was probably founded during the heptarchy, about which period a monastery is said to have been established by one of the Saxon kings, was called by the Anglo-Saxons Headlege, whence it derived its modern name. Some of the kings of East Anglia were interred here; as also was Guthrum, or Gormo, a Danish chief, who submitted to Alfred the Great, and renounced paganism after the defeat of the Danes at the battle of Ethandune, now Eddington, in the county of Wilts: a tomb is still shown in the church as the monument of Guthrum (who died in 889)" 2

"In Essex and Suffolk I find two parishes of Hadleigh, and in Middlesex a parish Hadley." 3 Another source notes: "Hædleáh in an Anglo-Saxon will of the 10th century." 4

The first record of the family was indeed found in Suffolk. Matilda de Hadlega was listed there in the Pipe Rolls of 1194. Warin de Hadlai was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1212 and John Hadley was listed in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1390. 5

Early History of the Hadley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hadley research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1194, 1379, 1682, 1685, 1691, 1730, 1731, 1744, 1749, 1753, 1756, 1760, 1763, 1764, 1768, 1771 and 1798 are included under the topic Early Hadley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hadley Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Hadley family name include Hadley, Hadleigh and others.

Early Notables of the Hadley family

Notables of the family at this time include

Hadley Ranking

In the United States, the name Hadley is the 1,561st most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 6 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Hadley is ranked the 952nd most popular surname with an estimated 7,313 people with that name. 7


Hadley migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Hadley surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Hadley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Hadley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Hadley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Hadley migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hadley Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Hadley Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Hadley migration to Australia +

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

Hadley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Hadley 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:

Hadley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Hadley (post 1700) +


Suggested Readings for the name Hadley +
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