From our research we believe that the Audley and Audsley surnames are both independent surnames and one is not a variant of the other.
The “Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland” has the following for the Origins of the Audsley and Audley Surnames:
AUDSLEY – locative name from an unidentified place presumably in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Derivation from Aldersley in Bradford is linguistically possible but in the middle ages this minor place name is attested only in the field name Aldeleysike in 1292 and there is no evidence that it gave rise to a surname. Identification with East And West Ardsley , close to Dewsbury, where the surname has most of its early History is phonological improbable.
AUDLEY – locative name from Audley, Staffordshire
Additionally the distribution of the two surnames in the 1841 census shows that the Audsley and Audley families were living in different parts of England
The blue squares represent the Locations of People with the Audsley surname in the 1841 census
The red circles represent the Locations of People with the Audley surname in the 1841 census
Audsley Family $A, of Cheshire and Lancashire, England
There are a number of branches of the Audsley family that spent sometime of their Family History in Cheshire and Lancashire areas of England. This family history is a partial history of those branches of the Audsley family. As expected no link has been identified between these branches of the Audsley family and any branch of the Audley Family.
(Last updated 31st May 2024)
Audley Family YK of Crayford, Kent, England
There is however one branch of the Audsley Family from Crayford in Kent, England which emigrated to Australia. When they were in Australia one branch of this Audsley appears to have changed its surname to Audley.
This family is detailed as ‘ Audley Family YK’ which can be found under the Family Trees section of this website or by following the link below
We would like to hear from any member of this family with either the Audley or the Audsley surname in the hope that they could explain why the surname changed for one branch of thay family. We would also like to hear from any member of the Audsley family, who have other links between the Audley and Audsley surnames. We can be contacted through the ‘Contact Page’ of this website
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