HADLEY
Hadley is an English locational surname of Anglo‑Saxon origin. It derives from one of several places called Hadley in the British Isles – for example those in Hertfordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire, Suffolk and Essex. The placenames themselves are recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Haethlege, Hatlege and Hadlega; these forms demonstrate the Old English roots haeth meaning heathland or heather, and leah meaning wood, clearing or meadow. Consequently the surname originally signified a person who lived near or was associated with a heath clearing or meadow.
In some contexts the name is linked to the Old English personal name Hadda, a short form of names beginning with heard (hardy, brave, strong). For instance, the Worcestershire settlement recorded as Haddeleye in 1327 shows this personal‑name element joined with leah. Early documentary evidence of the surname appears in the late twelfth century. The first recorded spelling, that of Matilda de Hadlegha, is found in the 1194 Pipe Rolls of Suffolk, during the reign of King Richard first, who reigned from 1189 to 1199. Other early sightings include Warin de Hadlai (1212, Yorkshire); Richard de Hadlege (1311, Cambridgeshire); and John Hadley (1390, Essex).
Within heraldry the Hadley arms are most commonly represented as a red shield bearing two chevronels between three silver falcons, each beaked, legged and belled in gold. The crest consists of a silver falcon, also beaked, legged and belled in gold, holding a gold buckle in its mouth. This heraldic device associates the family with the traditional symbols of vigilance and martial readiness.
Typical given names associated with the Hadley surname
Male
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Barbara
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Jean
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Rebecca
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Hadley in...
Braille
⠓⠁⠙⠇⠑⠽
Morse
.....--...-...-.--
Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Hadley are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Fig roll.
There are approximately 9,370 people named Hadley in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,001st most common surname in Britain. Around 144 in a million people in Britain are named Hadley.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Hadley
- Tony Hadley - Pop singer-songwriter
- Tessa Hadley - Author of novels, short stories and non-fiction
- Ray Hadley - Australian talkback radio broadcaster and a rugby league football commentator
- Patrick Hadley - Composer (1899 to 1973)
- Adrian Hadley - Welsh rugby union football player and coach, and rugby league football player
- John Hadley - Mathematician and astronomer (1682 to 1744)
- Tony Hadley - Football player
- Dean Hadley - Rugby player
- George Hadley - Scottish football player (1893 to 1963)
- Shaun Hadley - Football player
- Alex Hadley - Australian Paralympic swimmer from England
- Derek Hadley - Rugby league football player and referee
- Robert Hadley - Cricketer
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.