An English surname which originated from the Old English terms ‘cnihta’ and ‘leah’ which referred to the person or servant which did the wood clearing. The title of ‘knight’ was not used as a noble honor until the late Middle Ages. A spelling variations for Knightly are Knightley, Knightlee, Knightlie and Knightlea. The earliest Knightly families were in the Staffordshire region of England. The Knightly families later settled in Cambridgeshire, Essex, Middlesex and the city of London primarily. Within the United States the Knightly families were mostly living in Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, Virginia, Ohio, Illinois, Kansas and California.