Hearley - Name

This name has two possible origins, the first being locational 'of Hurley' a parish in Berkshire near Maidenhead. Such locational names were given to inhabitants who moved either voluntarily or otherwise from their village or place of origin. The farther one moved away, the more transposed the spelling became. The name is widespread in the Republic of Ireland and is used as the anglicization of O'hUirthile - an important Dalcassian sept (descended from one Uirthile or Urley an obsolete christian name). O'Hurley was one of the principal chiefs of Limerick. The great majority of present Hurleys are from Co. Cork. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John de Hurleia. which was dated 1210 The Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire. during the reign of King John nickname Lackland 1199 - 1216. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.