This rare name is old English habitational from the pre 7th Century. It derives either from the elements "Cwic" meaning dirty or muddy plus "leah", a farm or enclosure, or from a now "lost" medieval hamlet called Quixley or similar. There are a number of different spellings such as Quixly, Quixlee, Quicksley, Quixley, Quskely etc., whilst the recordings, (mainly London area), include the following. Margaret Quixlee, christened at St. Dunstans church, Stepney on November 8th 1694, William Quichsly who married Sarah Twist at the church of St. James, Dukes Place, London on July 4th 1693 in the reign of William of Orange, whilst on February 11th 1768, Edward Quskeley married Elizabeth (scon at St. Clement, Canes, Westminster in the reign of George 111. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Quixley, which was dated October 1st 1681, a christening witness at St. Botolph without Aldgate, London, during the reign of King Charles 11, "The Merry Monarch", 1660 - 1685. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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