Kirkley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
The Anglo-Saxon name Kirkley comes from the family having resided in the parish of Kirkley in the county of Suffolk as well as in Kirkley a township in the parish of Ponteland in the county of Northumberland.
Early Origins of the Kirkley family
The surname Kirkley was first found in Suffolk where they held a family seat from early times.
Early History of the Kirkley family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kirkley research. Another 106 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1223, 1273, 1639, and 1687 are included under the topic Early Kirkley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Kirkley Spelling Variations
Kirkley has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Spelling variants included: Kirkley, Kirkly, Kirklee, Kirkele, Kirkelee and others.
Early Notables of the Kirkley family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Kirkley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the United States, the name Kirkley is the 18,156th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 
Kirkley migration to New Zealand +
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:
Kirkley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Miss Mary Kirkley, (b. 1843), aged 25, British general servant travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 8th January1869 
- James Kirkley, aged 20, a farm labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Salisbury" in 1876
- Henry J. Kirkley, aged 18, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Salisbury" in 1876
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