Bixlay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the name Bixlay date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence in the town of Bickleigh in the county of Devon. This place-name is derived from the Anglo Saxon personal name Bicca meaning pickaxe, and the Old English word leigh, meaning wooded area.

Early Origins of the Bixlay family

The surname Bixlay was first found in Devon, at Bickleigh, a parish, in the union of Tiverton, hundred of Hayridge, 4 miles from Tiverton. 1 Bickleigh is also a parish, in the union of Plympton St. Mary, hundred of Roborough in Devon. 2

Bickley is a township, in the parish of Malpas, union of Nantwich, Higher division of the hundred of Broxton, S. division of the county of Chester. 3

Early History of the Bixlay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bixlay research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1415, 1426, 1518, 1529, 1569, 1582, 1585, 1586, 1596, 1623, 1644, 1661, 1667, 1670, 1681, 1687, 1746 and 1754 are included under the topic Early Bixlay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bixlay Spelling Variations

Bixlay has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Bixlay have been found, including Bickley, Bickle, Bickler, Bickleigh, Bigley, Bigly, Biglay and many more.

Early Notables of the Bixlay family

Notables of this surname at this time include: John Bickley, Member of the Parliament for Huntingdon in 1415 and 1426; John Bickley, Member of the Parliament for Stafford in 1529; Sir Francis Bickley, 1st Baronet (c. 1582-1670); Sir Francis Bickley, 2nd Baronet (c. 1623-1681); Sir Francis Bickley, 3rd Baronet (1644-1687); and Sir Francis Bickley, 4th...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bixlay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bixlay family

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Bixlays to arrive on North American shores: Sarah Bickley who settled in Maryland in 1740; Philip Bickler arrived in Philadelphia in 1744; Adam Bickle arrived in Pennsylvania in 1751 with wife and children.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.