Notley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Notley

What does the name Notley mean?

The Notley surname finds its earliest origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name is derived from a habitational name from the places Black and White Notley in Essex. These place names derive from the Old English "hnut" meaning a "nut tree," and "le-ah," which referred to a clearing. 1

Early Origins of the Notley family

The surname Notley was first found in Essex at Black Notley or White Notley, parishes, in the union of Braintree, hundred of Witham. These ancient Saxon villages date back to 998 when they were both known as Hnutlea. 1 By the time of the Domesday Book of 1086, the village was known as Nutlea. 2 "White Notley and Black Notley formerly constituted one township, styled in Domesday Book Nutlea, Nutleia, and Nuchelea, and in other records Nutteslega and Nutelegh: the name is supposed to signify 'a nut pasture.' " 3 By the 13th century the villages had split to become Blake Nuteleye in 1252 and White Nuteleye in 1235. 1 Notley Abbey, an Augustinian abbey near Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire was founded between 1154 and 1164 by the second Earl of Buckingham, Walter Giffard and his wife, Ermengar.

Early History of the Notley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Notley research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1665, 1676 and 1679 are included under the topic Early Notley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Notley Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Notley are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Notley include: Nottley, Notley, Notleigh, Nott and others.

Early Notables of the Notley family

Distinguished members of the family include

Thomas Notley of Dorset, England, who arrived in Maryland about 1665, seated himself at Notley Hall, and was Governor of Maryland from 1676-1679...
Later on, there was a Notley hall, in Maryland...

Notley migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Notley or a variant listed above:

Notley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mathew Notley, who landed in Maryland in 1670 4

Notley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Notley, who arrived in St Clair County, Illinois in 1865 4

Notley migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Notley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Robert Notley, British Convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 8th April 1821, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
Robert Notley, a mason, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832

Contemporary Notables of the name Notley (post 1700) +

Alice Notley (b. 1945), American poet
John H. Notley, American politician, Candidate for Circuit Judge in Michigan 9th Circuit, 1914 6
Grant Notley (1939-1984), Canadian provincial politician in Alberta, Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta (1971-1984), Leader of the Alberta New Democratic Party (1968-1984), Leader of the Official Opposition in Alberta (1982-1984), killed in an airplane crash, father of Rachael Notley
Rachel Notley (b. 1964), Canadian lawyer and politician, 17th Premier of Alberta (2015-)
Charles Notley (1879-1968), British Olympic fencer
Notley D. Tomlin, American politician, Member of North Carolina State House of Representatives from Iredell County, 1909-12 7

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, April 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html