The information on this page contains information that suggests a meaning for the Audley Surname as well as the possible origin of the surname. The information has been taken from the following documents:
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| ‘A Survey and Analysis of the Place- Names of Staffordshire’ by David Horovitz,LL.B. Thesis submitted to the University of Nottingham for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, October 2003. http://etheses.nottingham.ac.uk/1557/ |
| Audley
‘The Leah of Aldgyp’, an OE feminine name. (see below) Stratton Audley in Oxfordshire takes the second part of its name from a family who probably came from this place ( i.e. Audley). ‘Leah’ a wood, woodland, a rough open space or clearing in a wood, a glade; woodland clearing, especially one used for pasture or arable’, and later’a piece of open land, a meadow. A very common element, giving the endings -ley, -leigh, -le. Personal names found in Staffordshire place-names Although masculine forms are generally given in the place-name entries, it is in many cases impossible to distinguish masculine and feminine personal names in place-names. The following list gives masculine names, with certain feminine names marked (f) |
| Behind the name (the etymology and history of first names) www.behindthename.com |
| Audley AUDLEY Gender: Masculine Usage: English From a surname which was taken from a place name meaning “EALDGYD’s clearing” in Old English ALDITH Gender: Feminine Usage: Medieval ; Medieval form of EALDGYD EALDGYD Gender: Feminine Usage: Anglo- Saxon Derived from Old English Elements eald ‘old’ and ‘gyo’ battle’ |
| A dictionary of English Surnames by P.H. Reaney |
| Audley English: habitation name from a place in Staffordshire so called from the Old English female name Ealdgyd (composed of eald meaning old+ gyd meaning battle) + Old English leah meaning wood, clearingAudsley English: habitation name from an unidentified place (probably in Yorkshire, where the surname is most common), so called from the general case of an Old English personal name with the first (e)ald meaning old + Old English leah meaning wood, clearing |
| “Tús Tuile”, which records the memorials from Kiggaul cemetery in Lettermullan Island, County Galway |
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| The inscription under the photograph states:
Siobhán Bn Uí Áiligh (Jude Mháirtín Bheartln, Uaigh 196) agus a mac Pádraig, An t-Athair Pádraig Ó hÁiligh S. P. Carna. The inscription implies that Áiligh (pronounced AWL-LEH) is a Gaelic surname which was Anglicised to Audley and Adley. |
| “All Ireland Surnames” by Seán de Bhulbh 2nd edition |
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| The above statement ignores the existance of the Audley surname in counties Kilkenny, Waterford and Wexford. I believe that the statement that the “appearance in Conamara suggests Irish origin” is significant. I cannot think of a reason why an English person with the Audley surname would emigrate from England to Connemara, which is reputed to be one of the poorest regions in Ireland in the period 1700 to 1900. The reference to Woulfe is not strictly accurate (see next section) |
| “Irish Names and Surnames” by Rev Patrick Woulfe published in 1922 |
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DLU 20191126