Biren Surname History

Origins Available:
England

Biren is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Biren family lived at Bryram, a township in the parish of Brotherton, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. 1

Early Origins of the Biren family

The surname Biren was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire at Byrome, or Byram, with Pool, a township, in the parish of Brotherton, Lower division of the wapentake of Barkstone-Ash. "Byram Hall is a handsome mansion, in a fine and well-wooded park of about 200 acres." 2 3

However, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 point to scattered entries for the family: Roger de Birun, Yorkshire; Ralph de Birun, Lincolnshire; and Hugh de Byron, Nottinghamshire. 4

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Elena de Byrom (Byrom); Roger de Birne (Monk Fryston); and Thomas de Byrne (Selby). (Barsley)

The variant Burien, Berian or Buryan has a most interesting origin. "There seems to be but one opinion among our historians and antiquaries, except that which has been introduced to notice by Hals. According to this historian, the name Berian or Buryan, is derived from a cemetery or burying-place for human creatures; and he asserts that an enclosure devoted to this purpose existed in this place long before the church was extant. St. Berian, or Burianna, according to Mr. Whitaker, Dr. Borlase, and others, was a holy woman, a native of Ireland, who came into this country about the year 460, in company with many others of exalted birth and dignity, she being a king's daughter, and landed near St. Ives." 5

Early History of the Biren family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Biren research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1642, 1692 and 1763 are included under the topic Early Biren History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Biren Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Byrom, Byram, Byrum, Birom, Biram and others.

Early Notables of the Biren family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Byrom or John Byrom of Kersal or John Byrom of Manchester (1692-1763), an English poet and inventor of a revolutionary system of shorthand. "He was the second son and seventh of the nine children of Edward Byrom, by...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Biren Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Biren migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Biren or a variant listed above:

Biren Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Nicolas Biren, aged 34, who landed in New York, NY in 1848 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Biren (post 1700) +

Biren Synclare Ealy (b. 1984), American football wide receiver

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)