Liles History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Early Origins of the Liles family
The surname Liles was first found in Oxfordshire at Shirburn, a parish, in the union of Thame, hundred of Pirton. "This place was the property of Richard, Earl of Cornwall, and passed to Alice, wife of Warine de L'lsle, whose descendant of the same name obtained from Edward III. licence to embattle his house here. Shirburn Castle, the seat of the Earl of Macclesfield, is surrounded by a moat, over which is a drawbridge; it contains a noble hall, an armoury, and a suite of splendid apartments, with a fine collection of paintings, including a portrait of Catherine Parr, wife of Henry VIII." 1
The same Alice de Lisle, (note spelling change) was lady of the manor of Alwarton, in 1332. 2 "The family are descended from Radulphus de Insula, temp. William the Conqueror." 3
This name is one of the very few names that traces back to the Domesday Book of 1086. There the Latin form of the name: Hunfridus de Insula in Warwickshire was found. 4 Moreover, this is one of the very few forename and surname entries found there as in most cases only a surname was in use at that time. Later we found Peter de Isla in Yorkshire in 1166 and later again, Robert del Ille was listed as a Freeman of York in 1311. 5
"Isle is a common French place-name and the surname may sometimes derive from Lille (Nord), but it may also be of English origin. Robert de Insula, Bishop of Durham in 1274, was the son of poor crofters at Lindisfarne and took his name from Holy Isle." 5
Some of the family later held estates at Dibden in Southampton. "The church, a very ancient structure, has been thoroughly repaired and repewed, at a cost of £500, and some windows of painted glass have been inserted; it contains monuments to the Lisle family, who were lords of the manor, and of whom Lady Lisle was condemned to death by Judge Jeffries (Jeffreys)." 1
Despite the aforementioned, Scotland has traditionally held the lion's share of the family and most people claim descent from there as "a family of this name were barons of Duchal in Renfrewshire as early as the beginning of the thirteenth century. They were of the same stock as the Northumberland family of 'de Insula' (as the name appears in Latin) or 'Lisle' (de Lisle, Delisle in French). The first of the name in Scotland appears to have been Radulphus or Ralph de Insula, a follower of the Steward, who witnessed the gift by Baldwin de Bigre, sheriff of Lanharc (Lanark), of the church of Innerkyp to the monks of Paisley, c. 1170." 6
Early History of the Liles family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Liles research. Another 152 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1058, 1296, 1610, 1617, 1632, 1659, 1664, 1685, 1716, 1767, 1788, 1790, 1795, 1797, 1801, 1805, 1809, 1810, 1825, 1831, 1849, 1853, 1857, 1865, 1875 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Liles History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Liles Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Lyle, Lille, Lile, Lisle, Lyall, Lyal, Lyel and many more.
Early Notables of the Liles family
Notable among the family at this time was Sir John Lisle (1610-1664), an English lawyer and politician who supported the Parliamentarian cause in the English Civil War, one of the Regicides of King Charles I of England, he was assassinated by an agent of the crown while in...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Liles Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Liles Ranking
In the United States, the name Liles is the 2,367th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 7
Migration of the Liles family to Ireland
Some of the Liles family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 76 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Liles migration to the United States +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Liles Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Elizabeth Liles, aged 28, who landed in America from London, England, in 1908
- Lester Liles, aged 36, who settled in America, in 1911
- Benjamine P. Liles, aged 38, who immigrated to the United States, in 1916
- Frances Liles, aged 24, who settled in America, in 1916
- Francis Liles, aged 27, who landed in America, in 1917
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Contemporary Notables of the name Liles (post 1700) +
- Mike J. Liles (1945-2022), American businessman and politician, Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives from 1991 to 1995
- Elvin Maerle "Sonny" Liles (1919-2005), American NFL football guard who played from 1943 to 1945 for the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Rams
- Donald H. "Don" Liles (b. 1947), American engineer, Professor of Industrial Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington
- Buddy Liles, American bass singer for the Florida Boys, a Southern Gospel quartet, from 1972 through the late 1990s
- Brent Harold Liles (1963-2007), American musician
- Alva Edison Liles (1956-1998), American former NFL football defensive lineman who played from 1980 to 1983, Super Bowl champion (XV)
- Jason Liles (b. 1987), American actor, known for his roles in Men in Black 3 (2012) and The Conjuring 2 (2016)
- Curtis O. Liles, American politician, Mayor of Sylacauga, Alabama (1972-1976)
- John-Michael Liles (b. 1980), American professional NHL ice hockey defenseman
- Frank "Frankie" Liles (b. 1965), American former boxer who held the Lineal/WBA super-middleweight titles, bronze medalist at the 1987 Pan American Games
- ... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
The Liles Motto +
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Sedulo et honeste
Motto Translation: Diligently and honestly.
Citations +
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
- Sims, Clifford Stanley The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames. 1862. Print.
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/