Show ContentsAppleby History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient Appleby was a habitation surname, formed from any of various places so named in England and Scotland. Appleby is derived from the old Norse "apall," or "apple" combined with "byr," meaning "farm."

Early Origins of the Appleby family

The surname Appleby was first found in Westmorland at the manor of Appleby from about the year 1250, which later became the county town of Appleby-in Westmorland. This town was frequently sacked and plundered and was a favorite target of raids north of the border. By example: "It retained its importance from the time of the Romans until the year 1176, when William, King of Scotland, surprised the castle, and destroyed the town; from which calamity, however, it had so far recovered in the reign of Henry III., that a court of exchequer was established here." 1 There are other parishes named Appebly in Derbyshire, Cumbria and Lincolnshire. Literally, the place name means "farmstead or village where apple-trees grow," from the Old English words "aeppel" + the Viking word "by." 2

Early History of the Appleby family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Appleby research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1300 and 1617 are included under the topic Early Appleby History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Appleby Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Appleby, Applebie, Appilby, Appilbie, Appeley, Applebee and many more.

Early Notables of the Appleby family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

  • Sir Henry de Appleby

Appleby Ranking

In the United States, the name Appleby is the 5,210th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Appleby is ranked the 856th most popular surname with an estimated 7,928 people with that name. 4


United States Appleby migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Appleby Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • William Appleby, aged 32, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Speedwell" 5
  • William Appleby, who settled in Virginia in 1645
  • Thomas Appleby, who arrived in Long Island in 1651 5
  • John Appleby, who settled in Virginia in 1652
  • William Appleby, who arrived in Maryland in 1657 5
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Appleby Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Joseph Appleby, who settled in Antigua in 1729
  • John Appleby, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1776 5
Appleby Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • James Appleby, who landed in Rhode Island in 1813 5
  • James L Appleby, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 5
  • J. L Appleby, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 5
  • L G Appleby, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 5
  • Robert Appleby, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1872 5
Appleby Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mr. John Appleby, (b. 1858), aged 45, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Etruria" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 5th September 1903 en route to New York, USA 6

Canada Appleby migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Appleby Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • George Appleby, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
  • Robert Appleby, aged 21, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1774
  • Sgt. Benjamin Appleby, Jr., U.E., "Appelbie, Appelbe", United Empire Loyalist, christened on January 27, 1754 in Schraalenburgh, Bergen County, New Jersey, was located in Schraalenburgh, Bergen County, New Jersey, USA before the conflict started, who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1783 One of the original grantees of Parr Town, now a portion of the City of Saint John, New Brunswick, settled Wickham Parish, Queen's County, NB. Enlistment on Muster Janurary 08, 1778 part of the New Jersey Volunteers, 3rd and 4th Battalions, in the Southern Expenditions, died February 17, 1826, buried in Wickham Parish, Queen's County, New Brunswick, son of loyalist James Appleby, Sr. 7
  • Sgt. Elnathan Appleby, U.E., United Empire Loyalist, who settled on lands assigned to him in the "Regimental Block" on the St Johns River, New Brunswick) c. 1783 believed to be the Nephew of loyalist James Applby, Sr., enlisted in 1776 part of the Queen's Rangers Regiment under command of Major Rogers, married to Hannah James in February, 1771, they had 8 children 7
  • Mr. Henry Appleby, Jr., U.E.aka "Hendrick", "Appelbie", "Appelbe", United Empire Loyalist, (b. 1766) born in Schraalenburgh, Bergen County, New Jersey, was located in Schraalenburgh, Bergen County, New Jersey, USA before the conflict started, who settled in Washademoak Lake, Wickham, New Brunswick c. 1783 son of loyalist James Appleby, Sr. 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Appleby Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Private John Appleby, U.E., "Appelbie, Appelbe", United Empire Loyalist, christened February 07, 1762, in Schraalenburg, Bergen County, New Jersey, was located in Schraalenburgh, Bergen County, New Jersey, USA before the conflict started, who settled briefly at Grand Lake, then Saint John, New Brunswick, then purchased 100 acres in 1809 in Chocolate Cove, Deer Island, New Brunswick where he died on December 19, 1825. c. 1783 son of lyalist James Appleby, Sr., enlisted on Muster Janruary 08, 1778, part of Delancy's Cowboys's then New Jersey Volunteers, married Sarah Ann Warren they had 6 children 7

Australia Appleby migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Appleby Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Edward Appleby, English convict who was convicted in Exeter, Devon, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Fame" on 9th October 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
  • Mr. John Appleby, (Fields, William), (b. 1792), aged 31, British Convict who was convicted in York, Yorkshire, England for life for theft, transported aboard the "Commodore Hayes" in April 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1850 9
  • Mr. George Appleby, (b. 1778), aged 49, English gardener who was convicted in Durham, England for 14 years for receiving stolen goods, transported aboard the "Champion" on 24th May 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1834 10
  • Mr. Joseph Appleby, (b. 1806), aged 24, English servant who was convicted in London, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Florentia" on 11th August 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
  • Mr. John Appleby, English convict who was convicted in Lincolnshire (Holland), England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Emperor Alexander"on 6th April 1833, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 12
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Appleby 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:

Appleby Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Miss Emma Appleby, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sandford" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th July 1856 13
  • Miss Ann Appleby, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sandford" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th July 1856 13
  • Mr. John Appleby, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sandford" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th July 1856 13
  • Ellen Appleby, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Sir George Grey" in 1864
  • Miss Ann Appleby, (b. 1862), aged 21, British settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Nelson" arriving in Invercargill, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 20th October 1883 14
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Appleby (post 1700) +

  • Shiri Freda Appleby (b. 1978), American actress, best known for her role as Liz Parker in the science fiction drama series Roswell (1999-2002)
  • Austin Michael Appleby (b. 1993), American football quarterback
  • John Francis Appleby (1840-1917), American inventor who created a mechanical sheaf-binder
  • Anne Appleby (b. 1954), American landscape painter
  • Paul Henson Appleby (1891-1963), American Professor of public administration at Syracuse University
  • Louis Appleby CBE, British Professor of Psychiatry who leads the National Suicide Prevention Strategy for England
  • Mrs. Kathleen Mary Appleby M.B.E., British Managing Director for The Concrete Society, was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire on 8th June 2018, for services to the Construction Industry 15
  • Stephen Villiers Appleby (1912-1984), English pilot, a leading proponent of the Mignet Pou-du-Ciel "Flying Flea" aircraft
  • Melanie Susan "Mel" Appleby (1966-1990), English singer and songwriter, one half of the duo Mel and Kim until she died pneumonia at the age of 23
  • Kim Lorraine Appleby (b. 1961), English singer, songwriter, and actress who sang with her sister Melanie in the duo Mel and Kim
  • ... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  5. 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)
  6. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
  7. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
  9. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th March 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/commodore-hayes
  10. Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 18th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/champion
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/florentia
  12. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emperor-alexander
  13. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  14. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  15. "Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists


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