Surname Oakeley - Meaning and Origin
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Oakeley: What does the surname Oakeley mean?
The surname Oakeley is derived from Old English pre 7th Century. It is a locational surname referring to a topographic or geographic feature, specifically "a clearing in an oak wood". Oakeley is made up of two elements: 'oak' which comes from 'ac', and 'ley', which originates from 'leah' meaning a clearing, glade or a pasture. Therefore, the name Oakeley can be roughly translated as "a person who lives by a meadow of oak trees". The surname Oakeley first originated from Cheshire in England, where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. Eventually, due to the political and economic turmoil of the Middle Ages, many branches of the family migrated to different continents, including North America and Australia. As a surname, Oakeley can be found in various forms such as Okeley, Oakeley, Oakley, Okely, Ockley, among others. As with many surnames of this era, spelling variations are common, often due to the transcription of the name from its original language to the written documents of the time.
Order DNA origin analysisOakeley: Where does the name Oakeley come from?
The last name Oakeley is a surname that is most commonly found in England. It is primarily a British and Irish name. The name has its roots in the English language and is derived from the Old English words 'aca' and 'leah', which refer to an oak tree meadow. As of the 2018 census, the most Oakeley families in the UK were found in Worcestershire, followed by Warwickshire and Buckinghamshire.
In terms of countries around the world with a good population of the surname Oakeley, Australia has a relatively high number of individuals with the family name. This is largely thanks to the numerous people who emigrated from England to Australia in the 19th century. In particular, the areas of Victoria and New South Wales have a particularly high presence of Oakeley families.
In the United States, the surname is much less common than other countries, with the vast majority of the population tracing their family name to countries like Ireland or Scotland. In particular, Oakeley is a particularly Anglo-Saxon surname, which may explain why it is not as popular in America. Nevertheless, some states like Texas do have a significant number of individuals bearing the surname.
To conclude, the last name Oakeley is most common in England, followed by Australia, Ireland, and the United States. However, it is primarily seen as an Anglo-Saxon name, with most people from other countries tracing their family name to other parts of the British Isles.
Variations of the surname Oakeley
The surname Oakeley is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is found in many different forms throughout England. Variants include Oakley, De Oakley, Oakely, Odule, Ok'lay, O'kley, and Oakly. Early spellings of the outline include de Oakle, de Ocle, de Okle, and de Okley. The name is believed to be from Old English, meaning oak or oak-clearing, as in an area where oaks grew in abundance.
The earliest records of the surname date from the 12th century. There was an Adam de Oakle in Alderbury, Wiltshire in the Pipe Rolls in 1158, and William de Oakle was appointed High Sheriff of Wiltshire in 1222. At this time, the Wiltshire Oakeleys lived in the villages of Alderbury and Fisherton.
In later centuries, the surname was further dispersed around the country. Records can be found in the villages of Crudwell and Upham in Wiltshire in the 1700s, and in Huntingdonshire, Leicestershire and Berkshires in the 1800s.
Today, the numerous spelling variants of the surname can make it difficult to trace one’s ancestral origins. However, DNA testing can help bridge the gap, providing insights into familial connections between people with the same or similar surnames.
Famous people with the name Oakeley
- Aaron Oakeley: British actor.
- Corinne Oakeley: English performer and composer of classical music.
- Francis Oakeley: English-American churchman and speculative theologian.
- Gordon Oakeley: British artist and printmaker.
- Guy Oakeley: British diplomat and the Ambassador to Kuwait.
- Herbert Oakeley: English scholar and Anglican priest.
- John Oakeley: English clergyman and academic.
- Joseph Oakeley: English doctor and public health campaigner.
- Nathan Oakeley: English organist, conductor, and composer.
- Arthur Oakeley: British Air Vice-Marshal.
- Honourable Eustace Oakeley: a British Liberal Member of Parliament.
- Mervyn Oakeley: British-Australian film producer.
- William Oakeley: Irish composer and conductor.
- William Oakeley: British amateur climber who made the first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1858.
- Winifred Oakeley: English Psychologist and co-founder of the Spiritualist movement.