Deerley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The history of the Deerley family name begins after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They 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 Deerley family

The surname Deerley 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 Deerley family

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

Deerley Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Darley, Darleigh, Darligh, Darly and others.

Early Notables of the Deerley family

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

Migration of the Deerley family to Ireland

Some of the Deerley 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 Deerley family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Deerley or a variant listed above were: 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 Deerley 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)