Ouseley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Ouseley

What does the name Ouseley mean?

The Ouseley surname is thought to have been a habitational name, from a now lost place name in Southern England, perhaps from the name of the river name Ouse and the Old English "le-ah," meaning a "wood."

Early Origins of the Ouseley family

The surname Ouseley was first found in Salop (Shropshire) where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year 1300 when they held in that shire.

Early History of the Ouseley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ouseley research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487, 1570, 1624 and 1640 are included under the topic Early Ouseley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ouseley Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Ousely, Ouseley, Owsley, Owseley, Oosely, Osly, Osley, Oursley, Housley and many more.

Early Notables of the Ouseley family

Sir John Ouseley of Courteen Hall who fell at the siege of Breda in 1624

Migration of the Ouseley family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: William Ousley, who came to the West Indies in 1656; Sarah Ously, who settled in Maryland in 1674; and John Ousely, who came to Philadelphia in 1876.

Contemporary Notables of the name Ouseley (post 1700) +

Sir Frederick Arthur Gore Ouseley (1825-1889), 2nd Baronet, English composer, organist, musicologist and priest
Sir William Gore Ouseley (1797-1866), British diplomat, he served in Washington, D.C., Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires
Sir William Ouseley HFRSE, FSAScot (1767-1842), British orientalist
Sir Gore Ouseley (1770-1844), 1st Baronet GCH, PC, British entrepreneur, linguist and diplomat
Gideon Ouseley (1762-1839), Anglican gentry by birth, author and preacher
Sir Duncan Brian Walter Ouseley (b. 1950), styled The Hon. Mr Justice Ouseley, British High Court judge in England and Wales, Queen's Bench Division
Herman George Ouseley (1945-2024), Baron Ouseley KT, British parliamentarian