Surname Owsley - Meaning and Origin
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Owsley: What does the surname Owsley mean?
Owsley is an English surname with Anglo-Saxon origins. It is derived from a geographic location, specifically a place originally known as "Ousley" in England. The name itself is composed of two elements: "ousel" or "osel" which means 'blackbird' in Old English, and "ley" which signifies 'wood' or 'clearing'. Thus, the name can be interpreted as "a clearing in the woods where blackbirds are found". It was common in Anglo-Saxon England to use geographic or topographic features to create surnames, especially among landowners. Today, people bearing the Owsley surname can be found in various parts of the world, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, among others.
Order DNA origin analysisOwsley: Where does the name Owsley come from?
Owsley is a surname that is found throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. It is primarily of English origin, although there is a small population of Owsleys in Scotland and Wales.
In the United States, Owsley County in Kentucky is named after members of the Owsley family who settled there in the late 1700s; the name is also found in large numbers in several other Southern states, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. Owsley is also found in significant numbers in Pennsylvania and some of the Midwestern states, such as Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin.
Owsley is a relatively uncommon name in today's world, with records suggesting that there are only about 8000 people bearing this surname in the US. Majority of them still live in the South, although small numbers are still scattered throughout the rest of the country, as well as in Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Variations of the surname Owsley
The variant spellings of the surname Owsley include Owsleigh, Owsleye, Ously, Ousleigh, Ousley, Ouslye, Ouzlee, Ouzley, Ouzly, and Ouzlye.
Owsley can also be found as a family name in the form of Aisley, Asly, Aslye, Aslee, Asley, Asly, Ausley, Awslee, Awsley, Awsly, and Awslye.
The same origin of the surname Owsley can be seen in Owsley families living in the United States, England, Canada, Australia, Germany, New Zealand, and Scotland.
The origins of the surname Owsley can be found as early as the 12th century when it was first used in England. The name is derived from a place name, which was originally spelled Aucheslea or Aitolesleia. It means “the oak-wood or clearing” and is derived from two Old English words, ac (oak) and leah (clearing or wood).
The surname Owsley can also be found in Ireland under the form of Asple or Aspley. This was likely due to a migration of Owsleys from England to Northern Ireland in the 17th century.
There are many branches of the Owsley surname throughout the world, making it one of the most common surnames found in the English-speaking world today.
Famous people with the name Owsley
- Augustus Owsley Stanley III (1935-2011), better known as Bear Owsley: a sound engineer, chemical engineer and recreational drug enthusiast.
- Harvey Stanley Owsley (1813-1884), the United States Representative from Kentucky's 8th congressional district.
- Ab Owsley II (1940–2001), American football player and founder of original ABA hockey team, the Washington Capitals.
- Matthew Owsley (born 1978), American Playwright and screenwriter.
- Stan Owsley (born 1962) American professional wrestler from the 1970s and 1980s.
- Palmer C. Owsley (1853-1931), an American businessman and banker.
- David Owsley (born 1951)), American businessman who served as chair of Ball Corporation from 2007–2016.
- Joe Man Owsley (1870–1902), Professional baseball player.
- Elsie Owsley (1876–1903), American stage actress.
- John Owsley (born 1982), American singer-songwriter based in Scotland.
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Comments or additions to the name "Owsley"
11.03.2024
large group of owsleys found in washington