Offray History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

Etymology of Offray

The history of the Offray name began with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from the Old English personal name Alvred. This name was popular in England because of the fame of Alfred the Great (849-899), who was the Anglo-Saxon King of Wessex.

Early Origins of the Offray family

Early History of the Offray family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Offray research. Another 150 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1275, 1296, 1317, 1379, 1666 and 1679 are included under the topic Early Offray History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Offray Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Offray family name include Alfray, Alfraye, Alfrey, Aufrey, Aufray, Alphrey, Alphray, Alferry, Allfree and many more.

Early Notables of the Offray family

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

Migration of the Offray family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Offray surname or a spelling variation of the name include : Thomas Alferry, who sailed to Philadelphia in 1685; and M. Alfrey, who was recorded in Essex County, Ontario in 1883.