Hedley Surname: Origin, Meaning & Coat of Arms

Whether you spell it Hedley or Hadley, the story begins in the same place. Taken at its root, Hedley points to “heath clearing”.

• Related forms: Hadlee and Hadleigh.
• Hedley writes “e” in place of the “a” found in Hadley, a typical scribal difference.
• The 2010 US Census counted 828 people named Hedley, ranking it number 28,746 among American surnames.
• Regional accents shaped spellings long before dictionaries fixed them.
• Names that sound alike, such as Headley, are easily confused in old records.

Heraldry and the Hedley name

Looking for a Hedley coat of arms? Arms were granted to families, not to surnames, and our research shows which heraldic tradition fits yours. For the full story, order the Hedley surname pack.