Oxlay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Oxlay

What does the name Oxlay mean?

The ancestors of the Oxlay surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in the parish of Bysshebury in Staffordshire, where they held lands and a family seat at Oxley. Oxlay is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. In this case the original bearers of the surname were the dwellers near the ox-meadow.

Early Origins of the Oxlay family

The surname Oxlay was first found in Staffordshire 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 Oxlay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Oxlay research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Oxlay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Oxlay 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 Oxlay include Oxley, Oxly, Oxleigh and others.

Early Notables of the Oxlay family

More information is included under the topic Early Oxlay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Oxlay family

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: Elizabeth Oxley her husband Thomas and daughter settled in Portsmouth Virginia in 1820; Thomas and Margaret Oxley settled in Maryland in 1731; William Oxley settled in New Jersey in 1677..