Surname Horley - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'H'
Horley: What does the surname Horley mean?
Horley is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is a locational surname derived from a place so called in Surrey, near Gatwick Airport. The place name Horley was first recorded as "Horlege" in the Domesday Book of 1086, and means "muddy clearing," derived from the Old English elements "horu," which means "mud," and "leah," which means "wood, clearing". Like many other English surnames, people acquired Horley as a last name after migrating from Horley in Surrey and when they moved out to seek work, using the name of their birthplace as a means of identification. It is important to note that locative surnames were developed when a former inhabitant moved to another place. Hence, the last name Horley could signify that the initial bearer was a former inhabitant of the place Horley in Surrey. Interestingly, the locational last name can also be borne by the lord of the manor, or by those who have long-standing ties with the area, even if they had moved to a different place.
Order DNA origin analysisHorley: Where does the name Horley come from?
The surname Horley is of Anglo-Saxon origin, primarily from the United Kingdom. It is derived from the old English words, “horu” meaning “dirty” or “muddy”, and “leah” meaning “woodland” or “clearing”. It is traditionally a locational surname, typically associated with the town of Horley in Surrey, England.
The name may have been taken on by people from this town who moved to other areas, and in order to designate where they were from, they were called by the town's name. Another possibility is that the original bearers of the Horley name owned lands in or around this town.
Today, the surname Horley is most common in England, especially Southern England, including Surrey and its surrounding counties. There are also bearers of the Horley surname in other parts of the United Kingdom, as well as in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. However, its popularity is not as widespread in these nations compared to the United Kingdom.
Variations of the surname Horley
The surname Horley likely originated from a place name in Surrey, England. It's less common and possesses several variant spellings. Some of these variants include Horly, Horely, Horleigh, and Horeleigh. Other possible variations could be Horlee, Horelee, Harbourley, Horelye, or Horlye. There could be further variant spellings due to regional accents and phonetic spellings.
Surnames of a similar origin could include other names derived from English place names, such as names ending in "-ley," "-leigh," "-ly," or "-lee," a commonly used Old English suffix meaning "wood" or "clearing." For instance, similar surnames of the same origin may include Hadley, Ashley, Hurley, and Hanley. Additionally, some surnames may be related by their etymological roots, featuring elements like "hor" (possibly derived from "har", Old English for "grey" or "old") or "-ley" (clearing, field). However, it is more challenging to identify surnames of the same origin because the origins of surnames can be influenced by many factors including occupation, geographic region, patronymic or matronymic denominations, or personal characteristics.
Famous people with the name Horley
- Dana Horley: an American actress who is best known for her role as Charlene in the television series Different Strokes.
- Thomas Horley: an English naturalist and ornithologist who wrote Nature in Hampshire in 1840.
- Gary Horley: a former professional British footballer who played as a midfielder for the Northern Premier League side Torquay United Football Club.
- Allan Horley: a former professional Australian rules footballer who played as a key forward for the West Australian Football League team East Perth.
- James Horley: a former British professional footballer who played as a striker for Blackburn Rovers in the English First Division.
- Ted Horley: an award-winning Canadian actor, producer, and director best known for his work on the television series The Littlest Hobo.
- Stephen Horley: a British theatre and film director, best known for his award-winning independent shorts such as Last Train to Nowhere.
- Michael Horley: an American writer, actor, and producer best known for his screenplays and plays such as The Grudge and Meet Me in St. Louis.
- Barry Horley: an English jazz pianist who has released over 30 albums since the late 1960s.
- Judith Horley: an Australian contemporary realist artist who specializes in painting oil, watercolor, and pastel works.