Of all the
Anglo-Saxon names to come from Britain, Oty is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived in the parish of Oteley found in the counties of
Shropshire,
Suffolk and the West Riding of
Yorkshire. Oty is derived from the Old English elements "ote," or "oats" and "leah," meaning "a clearing."
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York, Harper & Row, 1956. PrintEarly Origins of the Oty family
The surname Oty 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"
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
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. (Henry Otleghe held lands in
Somerset during the reign of Edward III.)
Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Mary Henry Hotlay as living there at that time. [3]CITATION[CLOSE]
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Early History of the Oty family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Oty research.
Another 370 words (26 lines of text) covering the years 1434, 1716, 1601, 1649, 1643, 1644, 1646, 1626, 1670, 1661 and 1723 are included under the topic Early Oty History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Oty Spelling Variations
The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few
hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time,
spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Oty has been spelled many different ways, including Ottley, Otley, Oatley, Oteley, Oatly and others.
Early Notables of the Oty family (pre 1700)
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)...
Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Oty Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Oty family to Ireland
Some of the Oty family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 82 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Oty family to the New World and Oceana
Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Otys to arrive in North America:
Oty Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Thomas Oty, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 [4]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)