Show ContentsWebbley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Webbley

What does the name Webbley mean?

The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066 brought the Webbley family name to the British Isles. They lived in Herefordshire, at Weobley, 1 originally known as Webbeleye in 1242. 2

Early Origins of the Webbley family

The surname Webbley was first found in Herefordshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Weobley, held at the time of the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086 by Roger de Lacy, from whom the family name is conjecturally descended. Weobly Castle was the scene of King John's surrender in the early 13th century to William de Braose.

By the 14th century, early rolls point to the widespread use of the name is a variety of early spellings including: Thomas de Webbele who was listed in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1308; and Richard de Webbeleye in Gloucestershire in 1336. 2

Early History of the Webbley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Webbley research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1663, 1790 and 1887 are included under the topic Early Webbley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Webbley Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Weobley, Webley, Weblee, Weblie, Weobbley, Webbley, Webblie, Webbly, Webly, Weblincke, Weblinck and many more.

Early Notables of the Webbley family

Philip Webley, English entrepreneur and son-in-law of William Davis, founder of what would later become known as Webley and Scott, the arms manufacturer in Birmingham, England. Originally founded in 1790, the business later became famous...
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Webbley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Webbley family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Webbley or a variant listed above were: John Webley who settled in the Bahamas in 1660; Ann Webley landed in America in 1747; Henry Webley landed in America in 1767.



  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


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