Hammersley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 


The ancestry of the name Hammersley dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived in the village of Hammersley, in the county of Staffordshire. The surname Hammersley was originally derived from the Old English word hamm, which means flat, low-lying land and the Old English word ley, which refers to a wood clearing or grove.

Early Origins of the Hammersley family

The surname Hammersley was first found in Staffordshire at Hammersley, "a locality probably to be found in Staffordshire." 1 We can find no record of this village today, but there is no doubt some or all of the family came from Staffordshire. By example, the Register of the University of Oxford list Walter Hamersley, in 1610 and William Hamersly in 1617 as both being from Staffordshire 1 Evidence of the family was also found at Kencott in Oxfordshire. It was here that "the family of Hammersley: the tithes were commuted for land and a money payment in 1767." 2

Early History of the Hammersley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hammersley research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1687 and 1801 are included under the topic Early Hammersley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hammersley Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Hammersley have been found, including Hammersley, Hammersly and others.

Early Notables of the Hammersley family

Notables of this surname at this time include:


Hammersley migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Hammersley, or a variant listed above:

Hammersley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Hammersley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Hammersley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Hammersley migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hammersley Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Hammersley migration to Australia +

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

Hammersley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Hammersley 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:

Hammersley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Hammersley (post 1700) +
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