Earllay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Earllay is a name whose history dates far back into the mists of early British times to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes. It is a name for a male who was of manly character. The surname Earllay originally derived from the Old English word Eorlic which referred to one who displayed manly characteristics. The surname Earllay belongs to a broad and miscellaneous class of surnames. Nickname surnames referred to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character. Often nicknames described strong traits or attributes that people wished to emulate in a specific animal.

Early Origins of the Earllay family

The surname Earllay was first found in Somerset where one of the first records of the name was John de Earlea who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1162. A few years later, William de Erlega was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex in 1190 and John de Erley was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Berkshire in 1230. 1 Bardsley claims the name was a local name "of Earley, a parish in the diocese of Oxford." 2 He quotes another contemporary source "Lower says 'A liberty in the parish of Sonning, co. Berks.' " 2 The latter Berkshire local was confirmed by Reaney. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list the following found in Somerset: Clemens Erleghe; Phillip Erlee; and Warin Erlee. 2 The Berkshire local is the only one we could find today.

Early History of the Earllay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Earllay research. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1273 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Earllay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Earllay Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Earllay has been recorded under many different variations, including Early, Erlegh, Erlee, Erly, Earley, Erle, Erley, Arlie and many more.

Early Notables of the Earllay family

More information is included under the topic Early Earllay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Earllay family to Ireland

Some of the Earllay family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Earllay family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Earllay or a variant listed above: Robert Early who settled in New England in 1633; and Thomas Early who settled in North Carolina in 1700; Edward Erle settled in Virginia in 1635; Michael Earley settled in Philadelphia in 1868.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)