Yerby History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The origins of the Yerby name come from when the Anglo-Saxon tribes ruled over Britain. The name Yerby was originally derived from a family having lived in either the parish or the hamlet called Yarborough in the county of Lincolnshire. The surname Yerby belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Yerby family

The surname Yerby was first found in Lincolnshire at Yarbourgh or Yaburgh, in the hundred of Louth-Eske. The name was listed as Gereburg in the Domesday Book 1 and literally means "the earthwork, or the fortification built of earth" derived from the Old English word "eorth-burgh" 2 "The living [of Yarborough] is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £9. 13. 6.; net income, £226; patron, Nicholas Edmund Yarburgh, Esq., of Heslington Hall, near York, who is lord of the manor, and owner of half the parish." 3

Early History of the Yerby family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Yerby research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1066 is included under the topic Early Yerby History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Yerby Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Yerby include Yarburgh, Yarborough, Yearbugh, Yerburgh, Yearby and others.

Early Notables of the Yerby family

Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Yerby Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Yerby Ranking

In the United States, the name Yerby is the 13,367^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Yerby migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Yerby Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Yerby who settled in Maryland in 1744

Yerby Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

A F Yerby, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 5

Yerby Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

William James Yerby, aged 41, who landed in America, in 1909
William Yerby, aged 57, who immigrated to America, in 1924

Contemporary Notables of the name Yerby (post 1700) +

Frank Garvin Yerby (1916-1991), first American historical novelist to become a millionaire from his work
William James Yerby (1867-1950), American politician, U.S. Consul in Sierra Leone, 1906-15; Dakar, 1915-25; La Rochelle, 1925-26; Oporto, 1926-30; Nantes, 1930-32 6
William E. W. Yerby (b. 1864), American Democratic Party politician, newspaper editor; Mayor of Greensboro, Alabama, 1902-03; Delegate to Alabama convention to ratify 21st amendment from Hale County, 1933 6
Monteal M. Yerby, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Massachusetts, 1972 6

The Yerby 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: Non est sine pulvere palma
Motto Translation: The palm is not obtained without toil.

Citations +

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)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html