Show ContentsPalys History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The origins of the Palys surname are uncertain. It may have derive from the Middle English words "pale," and "eye," in which case it was likely a nickname which evolved into a name. Or it may come from an Old Scandinavian personal name, "Palle," which was probably originally an ethnic name for someone from Poland.

Early Origins of the Palys family

The surname Palys was first found in Yorkshire where the name was first borne as a personal name by a powerful Dane mentioned in the Saxon Chronicle as Pallig A.D. 1101. 1

Early History of the Palys family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Palys research. Another 113 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1101, 1379, 1455, 1487 and 1591 are included under the topic Early Palys History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Palys Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Palys has appeared include Paley, Pailey, Palley, Pallie, Pailley, Pailie and many more.

Early Notables of the Palys family

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

Migration of the Palys family

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Palys arrived in North America very early: Peter Paley, who came to Virginia in 1670; John Palley, a bonded passenger, who arrived in Virginia in 1726; William Paley, who came to Baltimore in 1811.


Contemporary Notables of the name Palys (post 1700) +

  • Henri Dominique Marius de Palys, French Brigadier General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 2


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, June 16) Henri Palys. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html


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