D'erle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

D'erle is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest brought to England in 1066. The D'erle family lived in Derbyshire. They were originally from Erle in Calvados, Normandy, and it is from the local form of this name, D'Erle, which means, from Erle, that their name derives. 1

Early Origins of the D'erle family

The surname D'erle was first found in Derbyshire at Darley, a parish, in the union of Bakewell, partly in the hundred of Wirksworth. Darley Abbey is a historic mill village, now a suburb of the city of Derby and Darley Dale, also known simply as Darley, is a town and civil parish.

Darley Dale dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was first listed as Dereleie. 2 Darley Abbey was an Augustinian monastery that dates back to the 12th century when it was first listed as Derega. 3

In the parish of Lastingham, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, the Darley family have been lords of the manor there for a considerable time.

Early History of the D'erle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our D'erle research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1702, 1795 and 1846 are included under the topic Early D'erle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

D'erle Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Darley, Darleigh, Darligh, Darly and others.

Early Notables of the D'erle family

Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early D'erle Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the D'erle family to Ireland

Some of the D'erle 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.

Migration of the D'erle family

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name D'erle or a variant listed above: James Darley who settled in Maryland in 1738; Richard and William Darley arrived in Philadelphia in 1854; John and William arrived in Philadelphia in 1798.

The D'erle Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Per mare
Motto Translation: By sea.

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)