Drakeley

Recorded as Drackley, Drakeley, Drakely, Drakly, Drackly, and no doubt others, this is an English surname. It is clearly locational in all its spelling forms. They indicate an origin from a now lost' medieval village, as no village of anything like the same spellings has been found in the known gazetters of the past three centuries. These do tend to be inaccurate, with new discoveries of ancient places, being made all the time. The nearest place name of any simularity is believed to be Drakelow. This is a village in the county of Derbyshire. The origin of this name is said to be the pre 7th century Olde English 'dracan hlaw' or the dragons hill. People in ancient pagan times were keen on dragons which played a major part in their mythology, and it may have been that a dragon was slain on the hill. However it is equally possible that Draccan was a personal name. Drakeley would seem to have much the same etymology, and it translates as either 'Dragons clearing'. or it was a clearing (leah) owned or occupied by somebody called Draccan. The surname is recorded in the surviving registesr of the city of London from the reign of Oliver Cromwell (1650 - 1658). These recordings include Henry Drakley and his wife Dorothy at the church of St Giles Cripplegate, on January 29th 1656, and Humphrey Drakeley and his wife Mary, at St Botolphs Bishopgate, on March 16th 1723.