Show ContentsSlinkard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Slinkard originated in Slingsby, in the North Riding of Yorkshire. This parish dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, when it was known as Selungesbi, having derived its name from "farmstead or village of a man called Slengr, an Old Norse personal name + "by." 1 2

Early Origins of the Slinkard family

The surname Slinkard was first found in the North Riding of Yorkshire at Slingsby, a parish, six miles from New Malton. 3 4 5

It was here that Roger de Slingesby was recorded in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1219. Later, Higdon de Slyngesby was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 6 Other entries in the Yorkshire Poll Tax include: Henricus de Slyngesby; Ricardus de Slyngesby; and Willelmus de Slenggesby. 3

At about this time in Scotland, we found "Ade de Slyngysby in Edinburgh, 1367, most probably derived his surname from Slingsby in Yorkshire. John Slingisbie forfeited some land in Edinburgh in the reign of David II." 7 The Scottish entries should come as no surprise due to North Yorkshire's close proximity to the Scottish borders.

Early History of the Slinkard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Slinkard research. Another 126 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1563, 1565, 1577, 1602, 1610, 1621, 1628, 1631, 1634, 1636, 1643, 1658, 1660, 1662, 1680, 1690, 1691, 1693, 1763 and 1787 are included under the topic Early Slinkard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Slinkard Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Slinkard family name include Slingsby, Slingsbie and others.

Early Notables of the Slinkard family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Guylford Slingsby (1565-1631) English administrator, Comptroller of the Navy (1628 to 1631); Sir William Slingsby (1563-1634), was an English soldier who discovered the first spa water well in Harrogate, North Yorkshire; Sir Guylford Slingsby (1565-1631) English administrator, Comptroller of the Navy (1628 to 1631)...
Another 52 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Slinkard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Slinkard Ranking

In the United States, the name Slinkard is the 17,982nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 8

Ireland Migration of the Slinkard family to Ireland

Some of the Slinkard family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 64 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Slinkard family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Slinkard surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Peter Slingsby settled in Virginia in 1655.


Contemporary Notables of the name Slinkard (post 1700) +

  • Jefferson Slinkard, American actor, known for Catch Me If You Can (1989), Season of the Hunted (2003) and Recalibrate (2016)
  • Rex Slinkard, American Daytime Emmy Award nominated sound engineer
  • Caleb Slinkard, American editor of The Norman Transcript, a daily newspaper published in Norman, Oklahoma
  • Mary Lou Spradling Slinkard (b. 1943), American politician, Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives (2009-2013)


The Slinkard Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Vincit liberavit
Motto Translation: Liberty will conquer


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  5. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  6. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  7. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  8. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/


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