Colley Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Colley last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Colley last name
Meaning of the Colley last name: a pet form of Nicholas, or a nickname for dark colouring. The surname Colley is explained by Smith as a descendant of Coll, a short form of Nicholas. Another explanation is a nickname from Middle English colle, coal-black, for dark hair. The last name is found in England and Wales, and records decide which route fits.
Arms associated with the Colley name
Sharing a surname establishes no coat of arms entitlement; heraldry follows documented individual lineages.
Get your full Colley family history
This is only a glimpse of the Colley story. The full Colley history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Colley coat of arms. Get the full Colley report.
Colley name FAQ
What does the Colley name mean?
A pet form of Nicholas, or a nickname for dark colouring.
Where does the Colley surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States and Australia.
Is there a Colley coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Colley coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Elsdon C. Smith, Dictionary of American Family Names (1956), individual surname entries; modern indexed dictionary entries supersede conflicting interpretations.; Forebears, Surnam.es and individual surname distribution references.