Starley

Starley is a surname of English origin. In historical contexts it is notably associated with pioneers of the bicycle, whose innovations helped shape modern personal transport.

James Starley (c. 1830–1881) was an English inventor and master wheelwright based in Coventry. He built a workshop that produced a high volume of bicycles and components and is often cited as the father of the bicycle industry for refining frame construction, drive systems, and overall manufacturing methods that allowed bicycles to become practical for a broad audience.

John Kemp Starley (1855–1901), James Starley's nephew, later co-founded the Starley & Sutton Company and then the Rover Company. In 1885 he designed the Rover Safety Bicycle, which introduced two equal-sized wheels and chain drive as a practical alternative to the high-wheel designs of the era. The Rover Safety Bicycle is widely regarded as the first modern bicycle, and its success helped establish mass bicycle production and sales.

Beyond these figures, Starley has been carried by other individuals in England, and the name persists as a surname. The origin of the surname is English and likely derives from toponymic or descriptive roots common to medieval surnames, though precise etymology varies across sources.