Headley
A locational surname meaning “from Headley,” named for places in Hampshire, Surrey, and Worcestershire.
The #3,830 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 33,378 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Headley is a habitational surname, taken from one of several English places called Headley. The place-name is generally understood as Old English elements meaning “heath” or “heather” plus “wood” or “clearing,” though early surname dictionaries mostly treat it simply as a local name. In short, it identified someone who came from a place called Headley rather than describing a personal quality.
History
English surname dictionaries place Headley alongside other locational surnames and connect it especially with Headley in Hampshire, Surrey, and Worcestershire. The form appears in medieval records in several spellings, including Hedley and Headly, reflecting flexible medieval spelling. It later spread beyond its original localities and is now found in the English-speaking world, including the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because several English places share the name Headley, the surname can point to more than one original family line.
From the historical record
“London, 6, 5 ; UDR (co. Donei), i, □. Headley, Hedley, Haadlr. —Local, 'of Headley ' or'Hedloy,' parishes in the dioc. of Winchester. The entries below seem to refaOe to another spot:”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances