Carlesse History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Carlesse is an ancient Anglo-Saxon name that was given to a person who was a person who was believed to be free from care or unconcerned. The nickname is derived from the Old English word carleas, which referred to a "cheerful, merry" person. 1

One source claims that the name is a derivation of "Carlos, or its original, Carolus," 2 and we shall see later, Carlos was indeed still used by some people as late as the 17th century.

Early Origins of the Carlesse family

The surname Carlesse was first found in Gloucestershire, but some of the family were found in Lancashire at Welsh Whittle in early times. "In that of Edward III., Sir William Careles held the manor, so called, of Walshwittell. " 3

Later some of the family were found in Worcestershire, where "Careless is at present an Evesham name, and Carless is still a Worcester name. " 4 There was only one entry for the family in Yorkshire at the time of the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379: Willelmus Careles. 5

Early History of the Carlesse family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Carlesse research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1260, 1379, 1570, 1610, 1619, 1651, 1665, 1670, 1689, 1700, 1722 and 1769 are included under the topic Early Carlesse History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Carlesse Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Carlesse has undergone many spelling variations, including Carlesse, Carelesse, Careless, Carless, Karelees, Kareles, Careles, Corless, Curless, Korelees and many more.

Early Notables of the Carlesse family

Notables of the family at this time include Willelmus Careles, a prominent 14th century landholder in Yorkshire Colonel William Careless, Carles or Carlos (c. 1610-1689), was an English Royalist officer of the English Civil War, companion of King Charles II when the fugitive monarch hid in the Royal Oak following his defeat at the Battle of Worcester. "A family of the name of Carlosia described as of Stratford-on-Avon in the 'Visitation of Warwickshire' in 1619." The source goes on to note that he is thought to have been "the son of Anthony Careless, of the Clothiers' Company in Worcester in 1665, who...
Another 204 words (15 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Carlesse Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Carlesse family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Carlesse were among those contributors: Andrew Carelesse, who settled in Virginia in 1650; Joane Carelesse, who arrived in Virginia in 1653; Thomas Careless, who arrived in Virginia in 1737.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)