Howlay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Howlay

What does the name Howlay mean?

The name Howlay arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Howlay family lived in Cheshire. The name, however, is a reference to the family's former place of residence Houlei, France. They took their name from this place in its local form, de Houlei, which literally translates as from Houlei.

Early Origins of the Howlay family

The surname Howlay was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. Howle (Howl), is a small village in Shropshire, England that dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086.

Early History of the Howlay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Howlay research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1766, 1828, 1829 and 1848 are included under the topic Early Howlay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Howlay Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Howley, Howly, O'Howley and others.

Early Notables of the Howlay family

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

Migration of the Howlay family to Ireland

Some of the Howlay family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Howlay family

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Howlay or a variant listed above: M.A. Howley settled with his wife and eight children in New York in 1820; Mark, Patrick and William Howley arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860..