Map of England showing where the Hailey arms are recorded
The Hailey arms were recorded in Salop, c. 1701.
Shropshire lay on the Welsh border, and border country needed men who could fight. Families held their land in return for service, and service in arms is what a coat of arms was originally for.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in England in this period.
William III of England
Sovereign of the period
William III of England
1694–1702
Reigning in England when the Hailey arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in England
English heraldry allowed arms to be shared by all legitimate descendants of the original owner. These symbols were treated as personal property that moved through the generations to all children. While the eldest son kept the original design, other family members could use the same shield without needing to change it or register their own unique versions.
Granting authority
The College of Arms in London has regulated the use of coats of arms throughout England and Wales since 1484.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through a formal grant from the Crown or by proving their ancient right to them.
Where arms were recorded
All official coats of arms are recorded in the registers kept at the College of Arms, which date back to the fifteenth century.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Salop.
Origin & History of the Hailey Family in England
The family name Hailey finds its roots in the landscape of medieval England, where it likely originated as a topographical surname. It was traditionally used to describe someone who lived near a hay clearing or a fenced enclosure within a forest. By the dawn of the eighteenth century, the family had established a notable presence in the county of Salop, which is now known as Shropshire. Records confirm that members of the Hailey family were living in this region as early as 1701. During this era, families in Salop were often deeply connected to the local agricultural economy and the wool trade that defined the West Midlands. As the family grew, they became part of the social fabric of the English countryside, leaving behind traces of their lives in parish registers and local land documents that track their movement through the rural communities of the time.
Hailey Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
Heg
Old English term for hay or grass
This name
HaileyDerived from a place name meaning hay meadow or clearing in the woods
also spelled
Haylie
Hailey
Heyley
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Bardsley, Charles Wareing, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, 1901
Reaney, Percy Hide, A Dictionary of British Surnames, 1958
cross symbolChristian faith and service
cinquefoilHope and joy
masclePersuasion and the mail of a knight's coat
cross symbolChristian faith and service
cinquefoilHope and joy
masclePersuasion and the mail of a knight's coat
