Henley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 


The ancestors of the name Henley date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Henley family lived in one of the settlements called Henley in Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Somerset, Suffolk, Surrey, and Warwickshire. The oldest of the parishes is found in Somerset where it was known as Henleighe in 973. The place names literally mean "high wood or clearing" 1 with the exception of the Shropshire parish which means "one frequented by wild birds." 2

Early Origins of the Henley family

The surname Henley was first found in Somerset where they held a family seat from ancient times as Lords of the Manor of Henley, the main line of the family producing the Barons Henley, the Earls of Northington, the Barons Ongley and many other knightly branches.

John de Heneleghe was registered as holding lands in Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 3

Gilbert de Henlega was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Worcester in 1181; Robert de Henlay in Yorkshire in 1270; and William Heneley in Northumberland in 1392. 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Philipp de Heneley, Salop (Shropshire); and John de Heneleye, Warwickshire as holding lands in their respective shires. 5

Walter de Henley (fl. 1250), was a writer on agriculture, "is stated to have been a 'Chivaler,' and afterwards to have become a Dominican friar. Henley's original text has clearly been much garbled and interpolated in the extant manuscripts; the early text is said to be best represented in two manuscripts in the Cambridge University Library. They appear to date from the time of Edward I or Edward II." 6

Early History of the Henley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Henley research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1612, 1613, 1653, 1679, 1692, 1696, 1708, 1711, 1756 and 1772 are included under the topic Early Henley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Henley 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 Henley 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 Henley include: Henley, Henlee, Henleigh, Henlie, Henly, Hendleigh, Hendley, Hendlie, Hendlee, Henelly and many more.

Early Notables of the Henley family

Distinguished members of the family include

Henley Ranking

In the United States, the name Henley is the 1,428th most popular surname with an estimated 22,383 people with that name. 7

Migration of the Henley family to Ireland

Some of the Henley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Henley 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 Henley or a variant listed above:

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

Henley migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

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

Henley migration to Australia +

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

Henley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Henley 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:

Henley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Henley migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 17
Henley Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Henley (post 1700) +


Suggested Readings for the name Henley +
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