This name is locational, that is, it was taken as a surname by a family living at Achesleye. This place is known to be in the township of Sandford in the parish of Prees. Eyton in his Antiquties of Shropshire records, "Meantime we get a most satisfactory proof that the land at Aychley, in Sandford, which had been given in about 1230, to William, son of Richard de Lake, had descended to Richard de Lake (III.), and been made over by him, while living, to his son John. About Michaelmas 1315 the latter styling hiself Johannes Filius Richardi Minini de Laken, sets all his lands of Achesleye..." The long tenure of the de Lake family here suggests that the Atcherley family may have held this land and created their surname in at least the early 13th century. Due to the uncertain nature of surnames at the time it is possible that the Atcherleyes were a younger branch of the de Lakes and took the name de Achesleye on assuming new land, as often happened in this period. The land known as Aychley, probably a farm, was mentioned various times, as in 1582 when Robert Sandford alienated the manor of Sandford, including Aychley (Patent Rolls, Elizabeth I, 1580-1582). The site is now the location of Aychley Farm, a relatively modern building.

The origin of Achesleye is likely from the French 'ach' or 'ache', given as meaning celery or various forms of parsley and the Old English 'ley', meaning fallow – parsley in the fallow.

The family first came to prominence in the person of Sir Roger Acheley, who served as Lord Mayor of London, as well as other positions in that city. Fuller, in The history of the worthies of England mentions, Roger Acheley, son of, Thomas Acheley, of Stanwardine [Baschurch, Shropshire], Draper, 1511 and his arms: 'Gules, on a fess ingrailed between 3 Griffons-heads erased Or, as many Crosses patty sitched Sable.' Stolen from Fore-bears

As with such locational names it is possible that there may be multiple sources. Dugdale mentions 'Achelei, and Torvei, in Bedfordshire' in The Baronage of England; Jeffery Neve in An Almanacke for the Teere of Our Lord God, 1609 & Randle Holme in The Academy of Armory declared the 12th of May to be the day of Saint Acheley, an Anglicization of Achilleus, giving a potential patronymic origin. However, it appears that this surname is unique to the Shropshire family, both historically and contemporarily.

Occurrences:

• 1320. 'Richard Lord of Sontford leaves to Hugh and Robin, sons of Robert de Achesleye...': Antiquities of Shropshire, Volume 9, 1859
• 1327. Ric'o de Achesleye: Shropshire Labsubsidy
• 1365. '...good service done by William de Achcsley, brother of Thomas de Achesley, chaplain': Patent Rolls of Edward III, 1364-1367
• 1388. '...Hugh de Atcherley, barker, and Agnes hise wife...': Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, 1907
• 1485. Robert Acheley, shriue.: The Abridgement of the English Chronicle by John Stow, 1618
• 1504. Roger Acheley, Sheriff of London: The Present State of London by Thomas de Laune, 1681
• 1741. The Britannic Constitution by Roger Acherley was published