Show ContentsEgeley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Egeley family

The surname Egeley was first found in Cheshire at Edgerley, a civil parish and township in the parish of Alford, union of Great Boughton, Lower division of the hundred of Broxton. 1

The first record of the surname was found in the year 1189 when Albert de Edgardle held estates in that shire. Hugh Eggerley was listed at Oxford in 1440. 2

Early History of the Egeley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Egeley research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Egeley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Egeley Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Egeley include Edgerley, Edgelly, Edgely, Egerley, Egelly, Egely, Edgeley, Hedgely, Hedgerly and many more.

Early Notables of the Egeley family

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

Migration of the Egeley family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Egeley or a variant listed above: settlers, who arrived along the eastern seaboard, from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands.



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


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