First found in Leicestershire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Quenby, held by Richard from Robert de Tosny or Tonei, the chief tenant, who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086.

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More about the Quinby History...

Please remember that this page is only a small extract of our complete history that includes:

• Ancient origin of the name (usually pre-1100)
• Known spelling variations
• Early movement of the family name during the Middle Ages
• Noteworthy bearers from the 1500-1600s
• First settlers to North America
• Notable contemporary bearers of the name
• A description and/or full color picture of the Coat of Arms, Crest, and Motto (where available)

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: John Quinby, who settled in Connecticut in 1663; Manuel Quimby, who came to New York in 1761; William M. Quenby, who arrived in Detroit in 1844; John B. Quimby, who settled in Vermont in 1848.

For more information on the last name Quinby, the PDF Surname History is available for purchase as well as other products.