Radleigh History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Radleigh

What does the name Radleigh mean?

The name Radleigh first arose amongst the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from their having lived in the parish of Radley in the county of Berkshire. The surname Radleigh is both topographic and habitational since it was originally derived from the Old English word Redleah, referring to those individuals who lived by the reed stream, and also refers to the place-name in Berkshire. 1 Today Radley is a village and civil parish northwest of the centre of Abingdon, Oxfordshire. Originally in Berkshire, it was transferred in 1974. 2

Early Origins of the Radleigh family

The surname Radleigh was first found in Essex, where the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: Roger de Redlee; Warin de Redleye; and Richard de Redlege as all residing there at that time. 3 But the name likely went back further as Radeleáh was the form found in a 10th century charter in Wiltshire. 4

Early History of the Radleigh family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Radleigh research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1671 is included under the topic Early Radleigh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Radleigh 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 Radleigh has appeared include Radley, Radleigh, Radlee, Radlie, Radle and others.

Early Notables of the Radleigh family

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

Migration of the Radleigh 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 Radleigh arrived in North America very early: Richard Radley, who came to Virginia in 1649; John Radley, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1727; and Thomas Radley, who came to New England in 1765.

Sources +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print