Kewly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

Etymology of Kewly

Kewly is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Kewly family lived in Norfolk. Their name, however, is derived from the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Quilli, near Falaise, Normandy. 1 2

The Kewley variant is most interesting. One source notes "the Manx surname Kewley does not, however, seem to be Celtic, and is probably of French origin." 2 While another states "the Isle of Man Kewleys are said to be a mere variant of Kelly, the great Manx patronymic. It is a question I am not able to decide." 1 And another notes the name is "a Manx contraction of MacAulay." 3

The Cowley variant is thought to have been derived from the Scottish MacAmhlaibh or Macaulay which in turn probably derived from the Old Norse name Óláfr. 3 However, there are parishes name Cowley throughout England.

Early Origins of the Kewly family

Early History of the Kewly family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kewly research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1618, 1667, 1743, 1777, 1797 and 1809 are included under the topic Early Kewly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kewly Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Kewley, Quilly, Kewlay and others.

Early Notables of the Kewly family

Abraham Cowley (1618-1667), English poet, born in London. He was the seventh and posthumous child of his father, Thomas Cowley, a stationer who left 1,000l. to be divided among his children. His mother obtained his admission as a king's scholar at Westminster. He had already been drawn to poetry by reading a copy of the ‘Faërie Queen,’ which lay in his mother's parlour. Cowley's masters could never force him to undertake the drudgery of learning his grammar, and excused him on the ground that his natural quickness made it needless. 5 Hannah Cowley (1743-1809), dramatist and poet, was born in 1743 in...
Another 103 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kewly Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kewly family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Kewly or a variant listed above: John Kewley and his family, who arrived at the Port of New York in 1832; Edmund Kewley, who was on record in the census of Ontario, Canada of 1871; as well as Philip Andrew Kewley, who was on record in Colorado in 1880..