Guild of One-Name Studies
One-name studies, Genealogy
Co-operative Study: Lisle
Study Partners: John Lisle, W Paul Featherstone
Variants: Lile, Liles, Lyall, Lyell, Lyle, Lyles, Lysle, Lysles
Category: 2 - A study where research using core genealogical datasets and transcriptions is well under way, but currently in some countries only.
Guild hosted website: lisle.one-name.net
DNA website: www.familytreedna.com/groups/lisle
Contact: Lisle Study
The Lisle and variants surname study is a cooperative study to document the subject families and preserve the accumulated research.
The bulk of the existing Lisle research contributed to this study has been work done on the various Scot-Irish families that came the America in colonial days. Although I (John Lisle) have done significant work on various Lisle families, I have resisted actually register the surname because of the problems caused by the wealth of surname variants and how the spellings change, sometimes drastically, from record to record.
The Study will be coordinated by a cooperative study team. If you are interested in any variety of the Lisle surname, including some variants not yet included, including the "De Lisle" family of variants, we invite you to participate.
I fully expect to be including Lisle/etc. individuals worldwide.
In the following sections, you will see that significant research has been done showing very early members of the various families. My initial interest will be in documenting the families extant over the past 200-250 years where significant records exist in both North America and UK to reconstruct families and identify major biological families using DNA and paper trail methodologies. Hopefully that work will better identify links to the earlier families.
From Hanks, "The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland"
LILE
1. English: See LISLE
2. Scottish: See Lyall
LILES:
Variants : LYLES
Norman, English : variant of LISLE with post-medieval excrescent -s.
Early Bearers: John Lisles, 1562 in IGI (Soham, Cambs); Edward Lyles, 1570 in IGI ( Cople, Beds); Robert Liles, in 1600 in IGI (Stotford, Beds); Alle Liles, 1605 in IGI (Whickham, Durham); Edward Mildred Liles, 1608 in IGI (Stutney, Cambs); Anne Lyles, 1616 in IGI ( Bethersden, Kent).
LILL
Norman, English: Variant of LISLE.
Early Bearers: Ralph de Lile, 12th cent, in Danelaw Documents (Lincs); Mgarete Lyle, 1563 in IGI (Pinchbeck, Linc); Edward Lill, 1562, Henry Lyle, 1586; jhon Lyell, 1595 in IGI (Mablethorpe, Lincs); Luce Lill, 1573, Wm. Lill, 1764 in IGI (Mumby, Lincs).
LISLE
Variants: LILE, LIELL, LYLE, LILL, LILES, LYLES, De LISLE, DeLISLE, ISLE, ILES, IDLE
Norman, English: Locative name from Anglo-Norman French del isle (Latin de insula), denoting someone who lived on an island or came from a place so named, Ile, Isle, and L'Isle are common French place-names and surname may in some cases be from Lille (Nord). However, Robert de Insula, Bishop of Durham, 1274, was an Englishman, the son of poor crofters at Lindisfarne,and took his name from Holy Island.
Early Bearers: Hunfridus de Insula, 1086 in Domesday Book (Wilts); Peter de Isla, 1166 in Red Book of the Exchequer (Yorks); Baldwin del Ille, 1255 in Hundred Rolls (Oxon); John del Ile, 1275 in Hundred Rolls (Suffolk); Jordan del Ylle, 1307 in Wakefield Court Rolls (WR Yorks); Robert del Ile, 1311 in York Freeman's Register; Henry Lyle, 1319 in Crowland Abbey Estates (Cambs); Andrew del Ille, 1332 in Subsidy Rolls (Cumb); Thomas Lyle, 1566 in IGI (Royston WR Yorks); Anna Lisle, 1598 in IGI (Norton, Durham); Phillipp Lisle, 1604 in IGI (Hartland, Devon); Daniel Lisle, 1628 in IGI (Westminster, Middx); Tho Lisle, 1634 in IGI (St Giles, Cripplegate, London); Anna Lisle, 1647 in IGI (Bisham, Berks); Maurity Lisle, 1690 in IGI (Fishlake, WR Yorks).
LYAL
Scottish, see LYALL
LYALL
Variants: LYLE, LYELL, LYEL, LIELL, LILE
Scottish: relationship name from a pet form of Lyon or its diminutive form Lionel.
Early Bearers: Scotland: Johannes filius Lyelli, 1329 in Exchequer Rolls of Scotland; John Liel, 1411-34, in Brechin Register.
England: John Lyell, 1408 in York Freeman's Register.
LYEL
Scottish, English: See LYALL.
LYELL
Scottish, See LYALL.
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Hanks's "Dictionary of American Family Names" has this to say about Lisle/etc. surnames:
LILE (944) 1. English topographic name from Anglo-Norman French del isle "of the island", or a habitational name from the common French place name Lisle or Lille, all derived from old French isle (Latin insula) 'island'. 2. French : habitational name from the city of Lille, Nord (see 1.).
LILES (3746) Probably a variant spelling of LYLES.
LISLE (747) English (or Norman Origin) and French: variate spelling of LYLE.
LYALL (589) Scottish: probably from Old Norse personal name Liulfr composed of an uncertain first element + ulfr "wolf", although Reaney gives this as a pet form of Lyon or Lionel.
LYELL (340) Scottish: Variant spelling of LYALL.
LYLE (5063) 1. Scottish and English :of Norman origin): topographic name for someone who lived on an island. Old French, Middle English isle (Latin insula). 2. Scottish, English (of Norman origin) and French: habitational name for someone from the French city of Lille, or from various locations called Lisle, in Dordogne, Loir-et-Cher, Meuse, and Tarne, all of which derive their names from Old French isle (see 1). 3. Sottish variant of LYALL.
LYLES (4355) English and Scottish variant of LYLE 1 or 2.
The name Lisle seems to be of Norman origin. Originally meaning of the island: "L'isle" or "de l'sle" (Latin "de le Insula"). The majority of the early Lisle/etc. seemed to land in Scotland where Lisle became a Sept of the Royal Stewart clan.
There was a famous Lisle connection with Arthur Plantanget who was Viscount Lisle and his letters whilst in the Tower of London have been compiled in six volume book publication.
A Hampshire Lisle family have become famous as it was Judge John Lisle who pronounced sentence against King Charles. He was eventually assassinated in Switzerland and his widow executed for continued activities against the monarchy after it was restored. Two of their daughters went to America who one married Dr. Leonard Hoar who became the President of Harvard University.