Ottley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Ottley belongs to the early history of Britain, it's origins lie with the Anglo-Saxons. It is a product of their having lived in the parish of Oteley found in the counties of Shropshire, Suffolk and the West Riding of Yorkshire. 1 Ottley is derived from the Old English elements "ote," or "oats" and "leah," meaning "a clearing." 2

Otley in the West Riding of Yorkshire as "in the Domesday Survey [as] Othelia, is supposed to have derived the name from Othe or Otho, its Saxon proprietor. It formed the principal portion of an extensive manor or liberty, which was granted by Athelstan to the see of York. The archbishops had a residence here, and their successors to this day are lords of the manor and liberty." 3

Early Origins of the Ottley family

The surname Ottley was first found in Suffolk where the first record of the family was found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 as Richard de Otteleye. Kirby's Quest lists "Henry Otleghe, Somerset, Edward III" 4 (Henry Otleghe held lands in Somerset during the reign of Edward III.)

Tor de Ottalay was listed in Yorkshire (1148-1156); Thomas de Otteleg was found in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1225 in Suffolk; and Paulinus de Otteley was found in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1301. 5

Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Mary Henry Hotlay as living there at that time. 6

Early History of the Ottley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ottley research. Another 161 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1425, 1434, 1601, 1626, 1643, 1644, 1646, 1649, 1661, 1670, 1716 and 1723 are included under the topic Early Ottley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ottley Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Ottley include Ottley, Otley, Oatley, Oteley, Oatly and others.

Early Notables of the Ottley family

Notables of the family at this time include

Sir Francis Ottley (1601-1649), English Royalist knight, military governor of Shrewsbury in 1643 and later High Sheriff of Shropshire (1644-1646)
Sir Richard Ottley (1626-1670), a member of the English Parliament in 1661

Ottley Ranking

In the United States, the name Ottley is the 15,715^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 7

Ottley migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Ottley were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Ottley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Arthur Ottley (1649-1705) was born in St. Christopher (Saint Kitts)'s

Ottley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Susannah Ottley, an English convict, who arrived in Virginia in 1773

Ottley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Ottley, aged 23, who landed in New York in 1812 8
William Ottley, aged 60, who arrived in New York in 1812 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Ottley (post 1700) +

Jerold Don Ottley (1934-2021), American conductor and music director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir from 1974 to 1999
Ryan Ottley, American comic book artist, best known for work on Image Comics' Invincible
Vincent Lushington "Roi" Ottley (1906-1960), American journalist and writer, among the most famous African American correspondents in the United States
Robert Lawrence Ottley (1856-1933), English theologian, Principal of Cuddesdon Theological College from 1886, Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology in 1903
David George Ottley (b. 1944), former English cricketer who played from 1985 to 1967
William Young Ottley (1771-1836), English collector of and writer on art, amateur artist, and Keeper of the Department of Prints and Drawings at the British Museum
Rear-Admiral Sir Charles Langdale Ottley KCMG, CB, MVO (1858-1932), English Naval officer, Director of Naval Intelligence
William Ottley (1797-1820), English barrister at law in England, who died in St. Vincent
Douglas Ottley, New Zealand former association football player for the New Zealand National Team (1988-1989)
Sir Richard Ottley (1782-1845), British jurist, Chief Justice of Grenada (1814-1820), 5th Chief Justice of Ceylon (1827-1833)
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
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)