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Re: Alleytroyds
Alternatively...
This very unusual surname is 13th century Medieval English, and is recorded in an equally unusual number of spellings. These include such forms as Holliar, Hollyar, Hawler, Hawler, Holyard, Hollyard, Hollors, Hulliard, Olle, Ollar, Oller, Olliers, and Oyler! They all derive in whole or part from original residence by either a place of worship, probably a pagan temple or a holy-yard, with "yard" being an enclosed area, or from living or working in a "holly wood". Holly, being a very hard wood, had many uses in the olden times, and the specialist growing of holly was a major industry. The fact that there are so many varied forms of the surname is testament to both the vigorous local dialects and the inablility of local clerics to spell anything but the most obvious names. There has been a suggestion that the name is Norman-French and in the form as Ollier or Oller, this in some cases, may be so. If this is the case, then it is a short or nickname form of the personal name Olivier or Oliver.
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