Show ContentsFley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Fley

What does the name Fley mean?

There are several possible origins for the distinguished surname Fley. Firstly, the name may be derived from "Flée," the name of a place in the Cote-d'Or in France; in this case, the name would mean "one from Flée," and would have been brought to England in the wake of the Norman Conquest of 1066. Alternatively, the name may be derived from the Old English "fleah," meaning "flea"; in this instance, it is likely that the name was bestowed on the original bearer as a nickname.

Early Origins of the Fley family

The surname Fley was first found in the southern counties of England. The earliest known bearer of the name was William Fleie, who was listed in the Feodarium Prioratus Dunelmensis of 1233.

Early History of the Fley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fley research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1233, 1332, 1620 and 1642 are included under the topic Early Fley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fley Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Flay, Flaye, Fleay and others.

Early Notables of the Fley family

Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Fley family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Fley name or one of its variants: Marie Flaye, who immigrated to Louisiana with her family during the 18th century; and Walter Flay, who was recorded in the 1871 census of Ontario.



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