Dilley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Etymology of Dilley

What does the name Dilley mean?

The rich and ancient history of the Dilley family name dates back to the time of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It comes from the baptismal name meaning the son of Dilk. The surname was originally of Dutch origin and was brought into England during the Norman Conquest of 1066. Baptismal names began to appear as surnames relatively late in the growth of the naming tradition. This is a little surprising, given the popularity of biblical figures in the Christian countries of Europe. Nevertheless, surnames derived from baptismal names grew in popularity during the Middle Ages, and have become one of the foremost sources for surnames.

Early Origins of the Dilley family

The surname Dilley was first found in Warwickshire. "Maxstoke Castle is the property of Capt. Thomas Dilke, R.N., a descendant of Sir Thomas Dilke, who purchased it in the 41st of Elizabeth from Sir Thomas Egerton, keeper of the great seal: the buildings occupy an irregular quadrilateral area, inclosed by an embattled wall, and defended at the angles by octagonal towers, and are in a fine state of preservation." 1

Other early records of the family include: Geoffrey Dylle who was in Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year's reign of Edward III), 2 and the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Alan Dille in Cambridgeshire and Robert Dille in Buckinghamshire. 3

Further to the north in Scotland, "Thomas dictus Dyll witnessed a charter by John Skinner, burgess of Inverness, c. 1360 and Marjorie dicta Dyll held land in Inuernys, 1361." 4

Early History of the Dilley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dilley research. Another 48 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1624, 1633, 1635, 1667, 1692 and 1707 are included under the topic Early Dilley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dilley Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Dilley have been found, including Dilke, Dilkes, Dilks, Dilley, Dill, Dillow and others.

Early Notables of the Dilley family

Distinguished members of the family include Roger Delk (Dilke, Delke, or Dilk) (died before 1635) English-born, representative for Stanley's Hundred in the House of Burgesses. He traveled from England to Virginia aboard the ship "Southampton" in 1624. He was indentured to John Chew and employed in 1624 on his plantation on Hog Island. He rose to represent the Stanley Hundred...
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dilley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dilley Ranking

In the United States, the name Dilley is the 6,822^nd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 5

Dilley migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Among the first immigrants of the name Dilley, or a variant listed above to cross the Atlantic and come to North America were :

Dilley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

George S. Dilley, aged 26, who landed in America from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1905
Harley Dilley, aged 4, who immigrated to the United States from London, England, in 1906
Ellen F. Dilley, aged 54, who landed in America, in 1906
Ailene Dilley, aged 2, who immigrated to the United States from London, England, in 1906
Almira Dilley, aged 6, who immigrated to America from London, England, in 1906
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dilley migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Dilley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Dilley, English convict who was convicted in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England for 15 years, transported aboard the "Equestrian" on 30th June 1845, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Dilley (post 1700) +

Becki and Keith Dilley, American parents of the Dilley sextuplets, born May 25, 1993, America's first set of surviving sextuplets
Whitney Crothers Dilley, American professor of comparative literature and cinema studies
Gary J. Dilley (b. 1945), former American swimmer
Sherry Dilley (b. 1942), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Nevada, 2004 7
Robert W. Dilley (1918-1998), American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Michigan State Senate 16th District, 1950 7
M. L. Dilley, American politician, Candidate for Michigan State Senate 7th District, 1934 7
L. Norman Dilley, American Democratic Party politician, Chair of Mercer County Democratic Party, 1937 7
J. F. Dilley, American politician, Member of Minnesota State House of Representatives 20th District, 1873-74 7
Abner Dilley, American Democratic Party politician, Constitutional Democratic Candidate for Michigan State Attorney General, 1938 7
Michael Reginald Dilley (1939-2023), English cricketer, born in Rushden, Northamptonshire who played for Northamptonshire (Northants) from 1957 to 1963
... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Dilley family +

RMS Titanic

Mr. John Dilley, aged 30, English Fireman/Stoker from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking 8

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. 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)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/equestrian
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html