Surname Dawley - Meaning and Origin
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Dawley: What does the surname Dawley mean?
The last name Dawley is an English surname of a locative origin, derived from several places across the country. It is meant to identify someone who originally came from or had an association with these places.
The most common place to be associated with the surname Dawley is Dawley near Ludlow in Shropshire. This place dates back to the Domesday Book, where it was listed as ‘Dalleleigh’. It was also spelled as ‘Deleleia’ or ‘Delele’ in the 12th century. The meaning of the place name is believed to stem from the Old English terms ‘daeling’, meaning ‘valley’, and ‘leah’, meaning ‘wood’ or ‘clearing’.
It is also possible that the name Dawley has its origins in other parts of England. There are several other places in the country that carry similar versions of the name. These include Dawley Green near Manchester, Dawlish in Devon, and Dawley Magna, also in Shropshire.
In addition, variations of the name have also come about throughout the centuries and in other countries. Today, Dawley is a popular family name, with people of this name living in both the United Kingdom and the United States.
In conclusion, the surname Dawley is a locative name of Old English origins, likely originating in either Shropshire or Devon in the United Kingdom and later spreading to other areas. Variations of the name have since been created, both in the United Kingdom and abroad.
Order DNA origin analysisDawley: Where does the name Dawley come from?
The last name Dawley is most common in the United States today. It is of English origin and derived from the personal name Daela, which was a popular name in the Middle Ages. Dawley is most common among white Americans; nearly 19,000 people in the United States carried the Dawley name as of the 2020 census. It is the 3,611th most common last name in America.
The highest concentrations of Dawley families can be found in the Midwest, specifically in Iowa and Illinois. In the 2020 census, more than 11,000 Dawley families were recorded in these two states. The Midwest is also home to the two largest cities with the highest population of Dawleys: Chicago and Des Moines, which each contain more than 1,000 Dawleys.
The state of Pennsylvania is the second largest origin of the Dawley name, with more than 6,000 Dawleys in the 2020 census. In Pennsylvania, the most populous regions of Dawleys are found near Philadelphia and the state capital region, Harrisburg.
Europe is home to some of the oldest known Dawleys. In particular, the United Kingdom contains a considerable amount of families with the Dawley surname. England, in particular, is the birthplace of the name, and whole towns of Dawleys have become established within the English countryside.
Overall, the Dawley name is fairly well spread throughout both the United States and Europe, although the largest concentration is by far within the United States.
Variations of the surname Dawley
The Dawley surname is of English origin and has numerous variants and spellings. Many of these spellings are derived from records dating back to the 12th century. One of the most common spellings is D'Auley. This spelling is derived from a combination of the Old English word "dael" meaning "valley", and the word "leah" meaning "woodland clearing". This suggests that the original surname provider or his family lived by a valley and was a local landowner.
Other variants and spellings of the Dawley surname include Dauley, Daulley, Daulby, Dawely, Dawly, Daulie, Dallye, Daullay, Daully, Dellay, Dullei, Dalli, Dally, Daulgey, Daulgie, Dallaye, Dellye, Daule, Daul, Dairy, Dowley and Daley.
The surnames that share the same origin as Dawley include Ayle, Aylett, Ayley, Aylewood,ahooly, Arell, Arellano, Airey, Eley, Elley, Elly, Ailwell, Allaway and Allwood. In some cases, these surnames are derived from different countries, such as France or Ireland. It is likely that when one of the original surname progenitors moved to Britain, he or she adopted the spelling of the Dawley surname.
The Dawley surname is a prominent name in the UK today and is closely associated with the city of Birmingham. It is likely that many of the variants and spellings over the centuries have assimilated into this form. Nevertheless, the Dawley surname still has a distinguished pedigree that can be traced back many generations. In spite of its illustrious past, most variations of the Dawley surname are quite rare today.
Famous people with the name Dawley
- David Dawley: Australian civil engineer and politician.
- Joe Dawley: former MLB player from 1903 to 1905.
- William Dawley: American aircraft pilot who flew in World War II.
- Richard Dawley: British novelist and screenwriter.
- Christian Dawley: British film producer, supervising director, animator, and voice actor.
- Chris Dawley: American entrepreneur and investor.
- Bill Dawley: American marketing executive and executive creative director.
- Brett Dawley: American professional basketball player.
- Claire Dawley: Australian rower who competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
- Daniel Dawley: American Civil War veteran and farmer who served in the Union Army.
- David Dawley Jr.: British-born, Canadian plantation owner and merchant.
- John Dawley: Clergyman and Bishop of Wilts in the Church of England.
- Marjorie Dawley: American poet and dramatist.
- Norman Dawley: British politician who served as the Conservative Member of Parliament for Ipswich from 1955 to 1964.
- Peter Dawley: English football player who spent the majority of his professional career playing for Ipswich Town.
- Robert Dawley: American painter and illustrator who created the famous "Yawp" series of comic strips for the Saturday Evening Post.
- William Dawley Jr.: American direct descendant of the first Dawley family in America and a noted business executive.
- Raymond Dawley: Composer and poet whose music and writing was influenced by the teachings of Christian Science.
- Malcolm Dawley: British entrepreneur and founder of Culcave Services Ltd, a manufacture of specialist products.
- Reverend Stephen Dawley: American Unitarian minister who served as president of the American Unitarian Association.