The ancestors of the Hotay surname lived among the ancient
Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in the parish of Oteley found in the counties of
Shropshire,
Suffolk and the West Riding of
Yorkshire. Hotay is derived from the Old English elements "ote," or "oats" and "leah," meaning "a clearing."
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York, Harper & Row, 1956. PrintEarly Origins of the Hotay family
The surname Hotay was first found in
Suffolk where the first record of the family was found in the
Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 as Richard de Otteleye. Kirby's Quest lists "Henry Otleghe,
Somerset, Edward III"
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
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. (Henry Otleghe held lands in
Somerset during the reign of Edward III.)
Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Mary Henry Hotlay as living there at that time. [3]CITATION[CLOSE]
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Early History of the Hotay family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hotay research.
Another 370 words (26 lines of text) covering the years 1434, 1716, 1601, 1649, 1643, 1644, 1646, 1626, 1670, 1661 and 1723 are included under the topic Early Hotay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Hotay Spelling Variations
Before English spelling was standardized a few
hundred years ago,
spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Hotay include Ottley, Otley, Oatley, Oteley, Oatly and others.
Early Notables of the Hotay family (pre 1700)
Notables of the family at this time include Sir Francis Ottley (1601-1649), English Royalist knight, military governor of Shrewsbury in 1643 and later
High Sheriff of
Shropshire (1644-1646)...
Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hotay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Hotay family to Ireland
Some of the Hotay family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 82 words (6 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 Hotay family to the New World and Oceana
A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck
England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in
England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Thomas Otley, who is on record in Virginia in 1618; Abraham and Adam Otley, who both arrived in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1641; Darcy Oatly, who was on record in Virginia in 1657.