Show ContentsCoppeley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Coppeley

What does the name Coppeley mean?

The ancestry of the name Coppeley dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived in Copley Plain in Loughton, which was in Essex; in Copley Hill in Babraham, which was found in Cambridgeshire; or in Copley in Halifax, which was in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Thus, the surname Coppeley belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Coppeley family

The surname Coppeley was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire at Copley. Another branch of the family was later found at Sprotborough. "The manor subsequently became the property of the Copley family, of whom Sir Godfrey built the present spacious mansion in the reign of Charles II., and whose descendant Sir Joseph Copley, Bart., is now lord." 1

"The manor [of Batley in the West Riding of Yorkshire] was for eighteen generations held by the Copley family." 1

Early History of the Coppeley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Coppeley research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1534, 1567, 1575, 1577, 1582, 1584, 1590, 1603, 1604, 1607, 1611, 1623, 1648, 1653, 1661, 1662, 1677, 1678, 1679, 1681, 1684, 1685, 1691, 1692, 1693, 1695, 1707 and 1709 are included under the topic Early Coppeley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coppeley Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Coppeley have been found, including Copley, Coppley, Copply, Coply and others.

Early Notables of the Coppeley family

Notables of the family at this time include Thomas Copley of Bedingfield; Anthony Copley (1567-1607), English, Catholic supporter of Queen Elizabeth, known for his disapproval of the Jesuit meditations on martyrdom; Sir Lionel Copley (1648-1693), who arrived in America in 1692 to become the 1st Royal Governor of Maryland (1692 until...
Another 51 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Coppeley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Coppeley family to Ireland

Some of the Coppeley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Coppeley family

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Coppeley, or a variant listed above: James Copley who settled in Virginia in 1635; and Thomas Copley, who came to Maryland in 1636.



  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.


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