Kilback History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the name Kilback date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Kilback family lived in Killpeck, (Kilpeck) a parish, in the union of Dore, Upper division of the hundred of Wormelow, county of Hereford (Herefordshire.) 1 2 3

This ancient place dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was registered as Chipeete. 4 According to the Domesday Survey, Kilpeck had "3 ploughs, 2 serfs and 4 oxmen and there are 57 men with 19 ploughs." The place name is derived from the Welsh word "cil", meaning "corner, nook." 5

This is the first evidence pointing to the possible Welsh origin of the name. In Welsh, the parish is named Llanddewi Cil Pedeg as in the 9th century, the area around Kilpeck was within the Welsh kingdom of Ergyng. An Archaeological Journal on the Remains of Shobdon Old Church, Herefordshire notes that the south door of the church of Kilpeck includes "figures of men supposed to represent Welsh knights, arranged in couples and interwoven with tracery" and "other monuments on the borders of Wales" include similar figures. "The two figures at Kilpeck are armed respectively with a sword and a kind of mace." The church is thought to have been built c. 1135.

Early Origins of the Kilback family

The surname Kilback was first found in Shropshire (Salop), where one of the first records found was that of Hagh de Kilpec, Salop, Henry III-Edward I. 6

Early History of the Kilback family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kilback research. Another 225 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1300, 1500 and 1583 are included under the topic Early Kilback History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kilback Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Kilback are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Kilback include: Kilpack, Killpack, Kilpac, Kilpak, Killpak, Kilpeck, Killpeck, Kilpec, Killpec, Killpoch, Kilbeck, Killbeck, Kilbec and many more.

Early Notables of the Kilback family

More information is included under the topic Early Kilback Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kilback family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Kilback or a variant listed above: Thomas Killpoch, who sailed to Virginia between 1663 and 1679.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)