Goley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Goley

What does the name Goley mean?

The history of the name Goley dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from a member of the family who worked as a galley-man. One source notes that these people were "rowers" 1 while another notes that "these were commonly called gallie-men, as men that came up in the gallies, who brought up wines and other merchandizes, which they landed in Thames-strete, at a place called Galley- key." 2

Early Origins of the Goley family

The surname Goley was first found in Yorkshire where Henry Galye was first listed in the Assize Rolls of 1219. Years later, Adam del Galay was listed in 1304. 1

Early History of the Goley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Goley research. Another 72 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1304, 1696, 1714, 1717, 1721, 1728 and 1769 are included under the topic Early Goley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Goley Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Goley has undergone many spelling variations, including Galley, Gallie, Gally, Galey, Gally and others.

Early Notables of the Goley family

Henry Gally (1696-1769), English divine and classical scholar, son of the Rev. Peter Gally, a French Protestant refugee, was born at Beckenham, Kent, in August 1696. He was admitted a pensioner of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, under the tuition of Mr. Fawcett, 8 May 1714, and became a...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Goley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Goley Ranking

the United States, the name Goley is the 18,685^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Goley migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Goley were among those contributors:

Goley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Goley, aged 5, who settled in America from Wexford, in 1893
Mary Goley, aged 22, who immigrated to the United States from Wexford, in 1893
Patrick Goley, aged 20, who landed in America, in 1896

Goley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Bridget Goley, aged 20, who immigrated to America, in 1902
Delea Goley, aged 28, who landed in America from Mountbella, Ireland, in 1907
James Goley, aged 19, who immigrated to the United States from Alleyfralli Ireland, in 1907
John Goley, aged 22, who landed in America from Milford, Ireland, in 1907
Annie Goley, aged 24, who landed in America from Dromore, Ireland, in 1908
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/