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| Origins Available: |
| | England |
The ancestors of the Wortly surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in Wortley, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The place-name was recorded as Wirteleie in the Domesday Book. It is composed of the Old English elements wyrt, which means vegetable, and leah, which means forest clearing. The place-name meant "forest clearing where vegetables are grown." 1 English local names were originally preceded by a preposition, such as de, at, atte, by, in. After the Norman Conquest, the usual preposition was de, which was used in both English and French place-names. In French names beginning with a vowel, the de was often merged with the name. For example, de Ash would become D'ash and later, Dash. By the end of the 14th century, prepositions were frequently assimilated or dropped from the surname.
The surname Wortly was first found in South Yorkshire at Wortley, home to Wortley Manor, a stately home which was rebuilt by Sir Richard Wortley in 1586. Today it is home to a group of local trade union activists that purchased the estate in 1951. Wedding ceremonies and day visitors are welcome. "This place, which had been for many generations the property and residence of the Wortley family, was, on the demise of Sir Francis Wortley, Bart., the last male heir, conveyed, by marriage with his daughter and heiress, to the Hon. Sidney Montagu." 2
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wortly research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1577, 1579, 1583, 1592, 1611, 1652 and 1665 are included under the topic Early Wortly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Wortly include Wortley, Wortly and others.
Notables of the family at this time include Francis Wortley of Wortley, High Sheriff of Derbyshire 1577, Custos Rotulorum of the West Riding of Yorkshire, 1579-1583; Sir Richard Wortley, of Wortley Hall, Yorkshire; and...
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wortly Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: W. Wortley settled in San Francisco in 1850.