Gadberry History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Gadberry was brought to England by the Normans when they conquered the country in 1066. The ancestors of the Gadberry family lived at Cadbury in Devon or Somerset. "There are ancient entrenchments called 'Cadbury Castle' at both the Devonshire and Somersetshire Cadburys." 1

Early Origins of the Gadberry family

The surname GadBerry was first found in Cadbury, a parish, in the union of Tiverton, hundred of Hayridge in Devon. "On the summit of a high hill called Cadbury Castle, is an inclosure nearly circular, consisting of a single vallum and fosse, supposed to be either of British or of Roman origin; near it some Roman coins were found in 1827." 2

Alternatively, the name could have originated in Somerset at either North Cadbury or South Cadbury. "Near the village are the remains of one of the most famous ancient fortifications in England: it was situated on the northern extremity of a ridge of hills, and was encircled by four trenches. Numerous Roman coins have been discovered; and the origin of the place may, with much probability, be ascribed to that people." 2

Literally the place name Cadbury means "fortified place or stronghold of a man called Cada." 3 The Somerset parish dates back to Saxon times when it was first listed as Cadanbyrig c. 1000. By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, the was known as Cadeberie. 4 Hence, the family surname, is conjecturally descended William de Poilley, who would have adopted the name de Cadbury or Cadbury.

Richard Tapper Cadbury (1768-1860), a native of Exeter moved to Birmingham in 1794 where he and Joseph Rutte started a tea and coffee business. Richard's son, John Cadbury (1801-1889) took over the business and was the founder of Cadbury, the chocolate business based in Birmingham.

Early History of the Gadberry family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gadberry research. Another 221 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1319, 1500, 1524, 1627, 1642, 1704 and 1808 are included under the topic Early Gadberry History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gadberry Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Gadberry are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Gadberry include Cadbury, Cabbury, Cadbery, Cadberry, Cadburie, Cadebury and many more.

Early Notables of the Gadberry family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Walter de Cadbury, a prominent 14th century property owner in London; and John Gadbury (1627-1704), an English astrologer, and...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gadberry Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gadberry Ranking

In the United States, the name Gadberry is the 14,627^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Migration of the GadBerry family

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Gadberry, or a variant listed above: Joel Cadbury who arrived in New York State in 1853.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/