Woodley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 


The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 brought much change to the island nation, including many immigrants with new names. Among these immigrants were the ancestors of the Woodley family, who lived in Devon, at Woodleigh, a village, parish and former manor located in the South Hams region. The name is derived from "wood" and the Old English "leah" meaning a "clearing in a forest", collectively a "clearing in the wood." 1 The place name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was known as Odelie. 2

Early Origins of the Woodley family

The surname Woodley was first found in Devon, where the family held a seat at Woodleigh, after the Norman Conquest of 1066. 3 4 They were conjecturally descended from Robet de Aumaly, who held the fishery of Woodleigh which included 15 cattle and 100 sheep. 2

It is situated above Kingsbridge estuary. Robert was descended from the Counts of Aumaly, one of the largest land holding barons in Normandy. 5

Early History of the Woodley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Woodley research. Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Woodley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Woodley Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Woodley were recorded, including Woodley, Woodleigh, Woodlief and others.

Early Notables of the Woodley family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Woodley Ranking

In the United States, the name Woodley is the 3,675th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Woodley family to Ireland

Some of the Woodley 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.


Woodley migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Woodley arrived in North America very early:

Woodley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Woodley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Woodley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Woodley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Woodley migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Woodley Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Woodley Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Woodley migration to Australia +

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

Woodley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Woodley 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:

Woodley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Woodley 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. 14
Woodley Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Woodley (post 1700) +


Suggested Readings for the name Woodley +
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