| ![Show Contents]() Westby History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The lineage of the name Westby begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It is a result of when they lived in Westby, a small village in Lincolnshire. The name was also found in Lancashire and West Yorkshire. The place name Westby comes from the Old Norse words vestr, or "west," and býr, meaning "a settlement." Early Origins of the Westby familyThe surname Westby was first found in Lancashire. "The family assert a Saxon descent, and say that they were settled in the hundred of Amounderness, in that county, before the Conquest; but the first member of the family mentioned in the pedigree is Gilbert de Westby, sheriff of Lancashire in 1238." [1] We will not discount this reference's claim but wish to advise the reader that the Assize Rolls of Lincolnshire does list William de Westebi in 1219. [2] The Domesday Book of 1086 lists the pace name as Westbi. [3] The township of Medlar with Wesham in the parish of Kirkham was home to early members of the family. "On the dissolution of monasteries, the land seems to have been granted or sold to the family of Westby; in the reign of Philip and Mary, William Westbye held 'Medlarghe,' 'Wessham,' and other property in this quarter, and his descendants long continued to reside at Mowbrick Hall, now a farmhouse." [4] This latter source also notes the family held estates in Medlar, with Wesham, again in Lancashire: "On the dissolution of monasteries, the land seems to have been granted or sold to the family of Westby; in the reign of Philip and Mary, William Westbye held 'Medlarghe,' 'Wessham,' and other property in this quarter, and his descendants long continued to reside at Mowbrick Hall, now a farmhouse." [4] Early History of the Westby familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Westby research. Another 54 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1233 is included under the topic Early Westby History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Westby Spelling VariationsOnly recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Westby has undergone many spelling variations, including Westby, Westerby, Westbee, Westbie and others. Early Notables of the Westby familyNotables of this surname at this time include:  Migration of the Westby family to Ireland
Some of the Westby family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Westby migration to the United States | + |
To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Westby were among those contributors:
Westby Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Barbara Westby, who arrived in Maryland in 1656
- Edward Westby, who landed in Virginia in 1664 [5]
Westby Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Joseph Westby and family, who settled in New York in 1830
| Westby migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Westby Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century- James Westby, who was on record in the census of Ontario of 1871
| Westby migration to New Zealand | + |
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include: Westby Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- William Westby, aged 21, a mason, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ballochmyle" in 1874
| Contemporary Notables of the name Westby (post 1700) | + |
- M. A. Westby, American politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives 33rd District, 1901-02 [6]
- Westby James "Wes" Davoren (1928-2010), Australian politician
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: Nec volenti nec volanti
Motto Translation: Neither wishing nor flying.
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, 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)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Westby migration to the United States 
Westby migration to Canada 
Westby migration to New Zealand 
England
Ireland
