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Scotland's coastal mountains and Hebrides islands were known in ancient times as the kingdom of Dalriada. The name Smeley evolved there as a nickname for a for a person noted for their smile, or happy personality. Smeley is thus, a nickname surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Nicknames form a broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, and can refer directly or indirectly to one's personality, physical attributes, mannerisms, or even their habits of dress. The surname Smeley comes from the Old English word, smile, which means grin. Therefore, the surname Smeley would have been adopted by someone with a distinct smile, or grin.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Smeley research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1630, 1660, 1670, 1689, 1697, 1740, 1763, 1774, 1787, 1795, 1890 and 1968 are included under the topic Early Smeley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Spelling in the medieval era was a highly imprecise process. Translation, particularly from Gaelic to English, was little better. For these reasons, early Scottish names are rife with spelling variations. In various documents Smeley has been spelled Smiley, Smellie, Smyly, Smyley, Smilley, Smilie and many more.
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Smeley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Another 163 words (12 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Many settled along the east coast of what would become the United States and Canada. As the American War of Independence broke out, those who remained loyal to the crown went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these hardy Dalriadan-Scottish settlers began to recover their collective history in the 20th century with the advent of the vibrant culture fostered by highland games and Clan societies in North America. Highland games, clan societies, and other organizations generated much renewed interest in Scottish heritage in the 20th century. The Smeley were among the earliest of the Scottish settlers as immigration passenger lists have shown: John and Jane Smiley who settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1763 with their children Margaret and Robert; William Smilie settled in Charles Town in 1756.