Oley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The distinguished surname Oley emerged among the industrious people of Flanders, which was an important trading partner and political ally of Britain during the Middle Ages. As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Flemish surnames of this type frequently are prefixed by de la or de le, which mean of the or from the. The Oley family originally lived near a prominent group of holly shrubs. The surname Oley is derived from the Old English words holi, holie, and holin, which in turn come from the Old English words holegn and holen, which mean holly. The surname Oley 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 Oley family

The surname Oley was first found in Norfolk where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Oley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Oley research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1602, 1679, 1686 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Oley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Oley Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Holly, Holley, Hollie and others.

Early Notables of the Oley family

Prominent in the family at this time was

Barnabas Oley (1602-1686), an English churchman and academic, a Royalist figure of the First English Civil War, Archdeacon of Ely (1679.)...

Migration of the Oley family to Ireland

Some of the Oley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 79 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Oley migration to the United States +

The records on immigrants and ships' passengers show a number of people bearing the name Oley:

Oley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Sebastian Oley, who landed in Maryland in 1666-1750 [1]

Oley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Nicholas Oley, aged 35, who immigrated to the United States from London, England, in 1912
Nickolas Richard Oley, aged 35, who settled in America from London, England, in 1912
Warren Oley, aged 22, who immigrated to the United States, in 1912
Warren W. Oley, aged 23, who landed in America, in 1912
John Oley, aged 23, who landed in America, in 1920
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Oley (post 1700) +

Barnabas Oley (1602-1686), English churchman and academic

Citations +

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)