Kirtley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Kirtley is derived from the Old French words "cortiller, courtuiller, cultilier" which mean "gardener" or is a derivative of the MIddle English word "curtil" or "kirtle," a maker of kirtles. Kirtles were a garment that was worn by men and women in the Middle Ages, eventually known to be a kirtle dress.

Early Origins of the Kirtley family

The surname Kirtley was first found in Essex where Geoffrey le Cultelier was registered as holding lands in the Pipe Rolls of 1186. William le Curtiller was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Wiltshire in 1199. Both entries point to the occupational nature of the name with the use of "le." Ralph Curtiler was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296 and William and Roger le Corteler were both listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1327. 1

The Kirtley variant is derived from Kirkley, "a township in the parish of Ponteland, ten miles from Newcastle, Northumberland." 2

Early History of the Kirtley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kirtley research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1186, 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Kirtley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kirtley Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Kirtley were recorded, including Curtler, Courtler, Kirtler, Cirtler, Curtillier, Corteler, Cortler and many more.

Early Notables of the Kirtley family

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

Kirtley Ranking

In the United States, the name Kirtley is the 9,951^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Kirtley migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Kirtley family emigrate to North America:

Kirtley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

S. Kirtley who sailed to San Francisco in 1852
William Kirtley, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1873 4

Kirtley migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Kirtley Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

John George Kirtley who arrived in New Brunswick in 1902

Contemporary Notables of the name Kirtley (post 1700) +

William Guy Henry Kirtley (1883-1936), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Ohio, 1932 5
William Kirtley Jr. (1858-1915), American Republican politician, Hotel-keeper; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Ohio, 1904 5
Mahlon Simms Kirtley (1837-1880), American politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Putnam County, 1875; Member of West Virginia State Senate 5th District, 1877-80 5
John F. Kirtley, American Democratic Party politician, Chair of Putnam County Democratic Party, 1917 5
J. Marcus Kirtley, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Missouri, 1948 (alternate), 1956 5
Elbert Kirtley Fretwell Jr. (1923-2012), American academic and Chancellor Emeritus of the University of North Carolina
Joseph Kirtley Carson Jr. (b. 1891), American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Oregon, 1928, 1952; Mayor of Portland, Oregon, 1933-41 6
Kirtley Mather (1888-1978), American geologist

Historic Events for the Kirtley family +

Empress of Ireland

Mrs. Elizabeth Kirtley (1889-1914), née Frank English Third Class Passenger from West Hartlepool, England, United Kingdom who survived the sinking on the Empress of Ireland 7

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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html