Surname Yersley - Meaning and Origin
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Yersley: What does the surname Yersley mean?
The last name Yersley is an English occupational surname, derived from the Old English word "Gearse," which meant "bargeman." As such, it is believed that this surname was originally used to denote someone who worked as a boatman or riverboat operator, transporting goods via rivers and other nearby bodies of water. The last name was mainly concentrated along the Humber River in the East Riding of Yorkshire during the Middle Ages, with one of the earliest known examples of the surname being found there in 1296.
In more modern times, the last name Yersley has been used as an alternative spelling for the more commonly known "Yearly" surname. While it is uncertain how this spelling variation came to be, one common theory is that it was derived from the Yorkshire dialect of English in which "yearly" sounded more like "yersley."
Today, both versions of the last name are common throughout England, with Yersley populations found in cities such as Leeds, Newcastle upon Tyne, and London. In addition, many individuals with Yersley last names have since emigrated to other countries, such as the United States, where the last name can still be found in some regions.
Order DNA origin analysisYersley: Where does the name Yersley come from?
The last name Yersley is a common British surname that originated in Lancashire, England. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "gere," meaning spear, and "leah," meaning meadow or clearing.
Today, Yersley is a fairly common surname in the United Kingdom. It is most commonly found in Northern England, particularly in Lancashire and Yorkshire. In the 2011 UK Census, Yersley was ranked at 6,544th most common last name in the country.
Outside of the United Kingdom, the Yersley surname is not so common. It has also been found in the Netherlands, Malta, and the United States. Yersleys can also be found in Canada, particularly in the provinces of Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta.
The Yersley name has many variations, including Yerley, Yerly, Yerrill, Yerrill, Youpincke, Yawpincke, and Yerpincke. Each of these are variations of the original Yersley name.
In recent years, Yersleys have made their mark in the world. Notable Yersleys include American actor Brian Yersley, English footballer Jack Yersley, and Dutch football manager Ben Yersley.
Variations of the surname Yersley
Yersley is an English surname derived from Euresleigh, which is derived from the Old English words eorl (meaning a lord, a leader, or an earl) and leah (meaning a clearing or a meadow). Variants of Yersley include Yearlsey, Yirlsey, Yerlsey, and Yelsley.
Spellings of Yersley range from the common Yersley to Yerlsley, Yerlsey, and even Yirselley – the latter often seen with an additional ‘i’ at the end of the surname.
Other surnames of the same origin include Erisley, Erislay, Erisly, Ersiley, Erssley, Erselie, Arslay, and Arselay. These variant spellings might have arisen from transcription errors, folk etymology, or misunderstanding of names due to regional and language differences.
Variants of Yersley are sometimes related to other similar surnames such as Earles and Earlsey, as well as early variants of Harlsey and Arlsey.
Additionally, Yersley could also be an Americanized version of the German, Jewish, and East European surname Yershovsky, which is derived from the Yiddish word Yer, meaning ‘lord’, and the Russian suffix -ovsky.
Other surnames with the same origin, such as Yershinov, Yershov, Yershenov, and Yershova, may also be related.
Famous people with the name Yersley
- Amanda Yersley: an American actress and singer, best known for her starring role as Clara in the 2003 movie “Riding in Cars with Boys”.
- Geno Yersley: a Canadian hockey goaltender who played in the World Hockey Association and World Hockey League for the Lethbridge Broncos.
- Jim Yersley: an American businessman and founder of Creekside Financial, a financial services company.
- Jaimie Yersley: a professional dancer and choreographer from London, Ontario, Canada.
- Gary Yersley: an American competitive ski racer, known for his expert skiing skills and world championship titles.
- Zack Yersley: an American tennis player, who is the current #1 ranked junior in the United States.
- Andrew Yersley: an English rugby union player, who played professionally in England and in South Africa for the Western Province KK.
- Barbara Yersley: an African-American author, speaker and entrepreneur.
- Ted Yersley: an American football player, who played running back for the San Francisco 49ers from 1987 to 1988.
- John Yersley: an English professor of economics at the University of York in the United Kingdom.