Oakey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the Oakey surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived near a notable oak tree or near a group of oaks. The surname Oakey is derived from the Old English word ac, which means oak. The surname Oakey belongs to the class of topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees.

Early Origins of the Oakey family

The surname Oakey was first found in Somerset where Oake is a village and civil parish that dates back to before the Norman Copnquest when it was listed as Acon in 897. The place was listed as Acha in the Domesday Book 1 and literally means "place at the oak trees" from the Old Englisk word "ac" 2

Early History of the Oakey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Oakey research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1606, 1631, 1640, 1644, 1645, 1662, 1675, 1680, 1681 and 1719 are included under the topic Early Oakey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Oakey 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 Oakey include Oak, Oake, Oakes, Oke, Okes and others.

Early Notables of the Oakey family

Notables of the family at this time include John Okey (1606-1662), an English soldier, Member of Parliament, one of the regicides of King Charles I; Nicholas Okes (died 1645), an English printer in London, best remembered for printing works of English Renaissance drama including works by William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, John Webster, Thomas Middleton, Thomas...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Oakey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Oakey migration to the United States +

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:

Oakey Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Oakey, who arrived in Maryland in 1671 3
Mary Oakey, who landed in Maryland or Virginia in 1671 3

Oakey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. James Oakey, aged 46, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Cynosure" in 1863

Oakey migration to Australia +

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

Oakey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. James Oakey, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Dromedary" on 11th September 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4
Walter Oakey, aged 14, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Monsoon"
Emma Oakey, aged 15, a house maid, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Monsoon"
George Oakey, aged 36, a engineer, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Monsoon"

Contemporary Notables of the name Oakey (post 1700) +

Peter Davis Oakey (1861-1920), American politician, U.S. Representative from Connecticut
Peter Davis Oakey (1861-1920), American Republican politician, U.S. Representative from Connecticut 1st District, 1915-17; Defeated, 1916 5
John L. Oakey, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Somerset County, 1881 5
John Oakey, American politician, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, 1894 5
John Oakey, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly, 1866-67 5
John Oakey (1813-1887), English inventor, founder of John Oakey & Sons Ltd. a manufacturer of sandpaper and polishing materials in 1833
Tony Oakey (b. 1976), English professional light heavyweight boxer, former British, Commonwealth and WBU light-heavyweight boxing champion
Graham Oakey, English former footballer
Philip Oakey (b. 1955), English composer, singer, songwriter and producer
Maria Oakey Dewing (1845-1927), born Maria Richards Oakey, an American painter, wife of Thomas Wilmer Dewing

The Oakey Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Quercus robur salus patria
Motto Translation: The strength of the oak is the safety of our country.

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
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 16th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dromedary
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html