The surname Hobley, or derivatives of it, can be found on early census rolls in Cornwall which were taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Meaning

A suggestion as to the meaning of the name "Hobley" includes the meaning "The little people from the meadow", derived from a combination of the words "hob" and "ley". From middle English, the word "hob" means a hobgoblin, sprite, or elf. The word "ley" means a grassy meadow.

Some people believe that Hob is a derivative of Robert and that the name Hobley suggests Robert's path or field. From old English, the name "Robert" means bright and famous.

Pronunciation

Despite the spelling, the name is pronounced with an "obb" not an "obe". This is probably because it is a combination of two words, and the pronunciation has not changed as the words have combined.

Ancestry

All families with the surname Hobley from around the world today appear to have ancestry which links back to Warwickshire.

Notable Hobleys

• Tina Hobley
  Tina Hobley
  Tina Hobley is an English actress.-Early life:Very shy as a child, Hobley was sent to speech and drama classes in an attempt to counter her introversion...
  
  
• C.W. Hobley
  Charles William Hobley
  Charles William Hobley, CMG — known as C. W. Hobley — was a pioneering British Colonial administrator in Kenya...
  
  , pioneering Kenyan colonial administrator
• Hannah Hobley
  Hannah Hobley
  Hannah Hobley is an English actress and classical singer. She is best known for playing Chantelle "Telle" Garvey in ITV's Benidorm Her character featured in the pilot episode, and was a regular for the first 3 seasons before leaving with love interest "The Oracle"...
  
  , actress.
• Dave Hobley, Information Technology Professional/I.T. Consultant/Regional IT Director, US Census Bureau/U.S. Air Force War Veteran
• Noel Hobley, Publishing Professional/GM St. Luke's Innovative Resources/Prev GM Bendigo Weekly newspaper