Show ContentsOxborough History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Oxborough family

The surname Oxborough was first found in Norfolk where the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Oxborough, held by Ralph de Limsey, a Norman noble who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. Listed as Oxborrow at that time, the lands contained 2 Mills, a fishery, and 180 sheep. 1

Literally the place name means "fortification where oxen are kept," from the Old English words "oxa" + "burh." 2

Today, Oxburgh is a parish, in the union of Swaffham, hundred of South Greenhoe, 3 Oxborough Hall was erected during the reign of Edward IV. This moated country house has been held by the Bedingfeld family by marriage before 1446 and is now owned by the National Trust.

The first record of the family was found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 as William de Oxeburgh in Norfolk. 4 A few years later, the Writs of Parliament of 1316 listed Nicholas de Oxeburgh, also in Norfolk. 5

Early History of the Oxborough family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Oxborough research. Another 131 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1300, 1316, 1450, 1586, 1597, 1611, 1614, 1623, 1659, 1678 and 1988 are included under the topic Early Oxborough History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Oxborough Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Oxborough, Oxenborough, OxenBerry, Oxborrow, Oxenbury, Oxbury, Ocksenbury, Oxbrow, Oxbury, Oxbry, Oxberry, Oxburgh, Oxburg, Oxenbrig, Oxenbridge, Oxbrigg and many more.

Early Notables of the Oxborough family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Thomas Oxborough (died 1623) was an English lawyer and politician, Member of Parliament for King's Lynn in 1586 and from 1597 to 1614...


United States Oxborough migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Oxborough Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Samuel G Oxborough, aged 26, who settled in America from Liverpool, England, in 1914

West Indies Oxborough migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 6
Oxborough Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century
  • Elizabeth Oxborough, a bonded passenger, who settled in Barbados or Jamaica in 1716

Contemporary Notables of the name Oxborough (post 1700) +

  • Paul G Oxborough (b. 1965), American artist
  • Dorothy Oxborough (b. 1922), Canadian artist


  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies


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