Show ContentsAtlee History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Atlee

What does the name Atlee mean?

In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Atlee surname lived in Kent, where they held a family seat at Lee's Court. The original form of this name was atte Lee, which became modified to the shorter form Atlee.

Early Origins of the Atlee family

The surname Atlee was first found in Kent where they held a family seat from ancient times, some say before the Norman Conquest in 1066.

Early History of the Atlee family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Atlee research. Another 113 words (8 lines of text) covering the year 1258 is included under the topic Early Atlee History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Atlee 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 Atlee 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 Atlee include: Atlee, Attley, Attlie, Atleigh, Atley, Atleys and others.

Early Notables of the Atlee family

More information is included under the topic Early Atlee Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Atlee 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 Atlee or a variant listed above:

Atlee Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William Atlee, who landed in America in 1734 1
  • William AtLee, who arrived in New England in 1734 1
  • William Atlee, who landed in New England in 1734 1
  • William Atlee, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1744
  • Samuel Atlee, who arrived in New York in 1784 1
Atlee Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Walter Franklin Atlee related to Benjamin Franklin, also of Philadelphia

Contemporary Notables of the name Atlee (post 1700) +

  • Dr. John Light Atlee (1799-1885), American physician and surgeon, one of the organizers, and later president of the American Medical Association
  • William Atlee, American politician, Mayor of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 1869-71 2
  • Samuel John Atlee (1739-1786), American politician, Member of Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1782, 1785-86 2
  • Frances Baer Atlee (1878-1964), American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1924 2
  • Edwin A. Atlee, American politician, Representative from Michigan 2nd District, 1844 2
  • E. A. Atlee, American politician, Member of Texas State Senate 23rd District, 1893-1900 2
  • Beverly Atlee Cleary (1916-2021), née Bunn, an American writer of children's and young adult fiction with over 91 million copies of her books have been sold worldwide
  • Horace Atlee Mann (1866-1934), American politician, Member of Tennessee State Senate, 1897-1901. Methodist; Later Catholic
  • Jacob Atlee Beidler (1852-1912), American Republican politician, U.S. Representative from Ohio 20th District, 1901-07 3
  • Beverly Atlee Bunn (b. 1916), birth name of Beverly Cleary, American author who has sold over 91 million copies of her books worldwide; she received the National Medal of Arts, recognition as a "Living Legend"


  1. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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