WOOLLEY
The Woolley surname is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words wulf, meaning “wolf”, and leah, meaning “clearing” or “wood”. Consequently, the meaning of the name is “wolf clearing” or “meadow of wolves”, suggesting a link to a place inhabited by wolves or to a person associated with them.
The surname is locational, taken from several places in England that bore the name Woolley. These localities are found in Berkshire, Cambridgeshire, the West Riding of Yorkshire, and Somerset. The Berkshire and Yorkshire places were recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Olvelei and Wiluelai respectively, while the Somerset place first appears as Wilege and Wllega. The modern spelling of the surname is Woolley, with historical variants including Wooley and Wolley.
The earliest documented spelling of the family name is that of Hugo de Wuluele, noted in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219, during the reign of King Henry III, who ruled from 1216 to 1272.
Church records in Yorkshire provide further evidence of the name’s use. On 13 September 1578 in Rotherham the names Richard Woolley and Mary Tyngle were recorded as married; on 13 October 1583 in Sheffield the couple Thomas Woolley and Alicia Skargell were likewise united.
A heraldic description of the Woolley coat of arms is: a red shield bearing a fess chequy argent and sable; in base a crescent of the second; the crest is an eagle proper. This imagery reflects the family’s historical associations and status within English society.
Typical given names associated with the Woolley surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Deborah
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Jean
- Joanne
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- 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 Woolley in...
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Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Woolley are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Almond.
There are approximately 13,551 people named Woolley in the UK. That makes it the 661st most common surname in Britain. Around 208 in a million people in Britain are named Woolley.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Woolley
- Leonard Woolley - Archaeologist (1880 to 1960)
- Bruce Woolley - Singer-songwriter
- Stephen Woolley - Film producer
- Frank Woolley - Cricket player of England. (1887 to 1978)
- Harold Woolley, Baron Woolley - Politician and farmer (1905 to 1986)
- Claud Woolley - Criketer and umpire (1886 to 1962)
- William Woolley - Politician (1901 to 1989)
- Albert Woolley - Cricketer (1902 to 1978)
- Edward Francis Reginald Woolley - Composer (1895 to 1954)
- Rob Woolley -
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.