Contents [hide]

Binks History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Binks History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Binks is a name whose history is connected to the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Binks family once lived by an open manger or stall. It derived from the Old English name Binningas, which was a name for someone who lived near stables. Alternatively the name could have been derived from "byng" and meant "dweller by the hollow." 1

Another source has a different origin of the name: "from the occurrence of such compounds as Bingley, Bingham, Bingfield, in names of places, it is highly probable that Bing, or Byng, was an ancient personal name. " 2

And another believes the name was actually a Norman name "from Binge-Gerault, Normandy, [which is] mentioned in a charter of King John to Henry de Ferrers. In 1191 Robert de Binga witnessed a charter of Henry, Bishop of Bayeux, executed at Rouen. From this Norman family descended the Viscounts Torrington, and the celebrated Sir John Byng, General in the Peninsular War, and Earl of Strafford. " 3

Early Origins of the Binks family

The surname Binks was first found in Kent, where the family "held property in Wrotham in the time of Elizabeth, and one of this family was sheriff of Kent in the same reign. In the time of James I. the Bings also owned property in Tunbridge, where the name still remains; and in this reign George Bing was mayor of Dover, and also the representative of the city in Parliament. " 4

Apart from the aforementioned Norman entry, the first mention of the name in ancient England was in 1274 when the Hundredorum Rolls listed Robert Bing as holding lands in Devon at that time and Reginald Binge was holding lands in Oxfordshire. 5 John Byng was listed in the Assize Rolls of Kent in 1317. 1

Early History of the Binks family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Binks research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1574, 1652, 1654, 1663, 1666, 1672, 1712, 1733, 1739 and 1752 are included under the topic Early Binks History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Binks 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 Binks family name include Bing, Binge, Binley, Binckes, Bink, Byng, Bincks and others.

Early Notables of the Binks family

Notables of the family at this time include Doctor Andrew Bing (1574-1652), English scholar, a fellow of Peterhouse, who was Regius Professor of Hebrew at Cambridge, and was part of the "First Cambridge Company" charged by James I of England with translating parts of the Old Testament for the King James Version of the Bible. 6George Byng Viscount Torrington (1663-1733), was a British admiral and the eldest son of John Byng, from a family who had settled for many centuries at Wrotham in Kent. "In 1666...
Another 86 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Binks Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Binks family to Ireland

Some of the Binks 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.

Binks migration to the United States +

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 Binks surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Binks Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Binks, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 aboard the ship "George"
Mrs. Ann Binks, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 aboard the ship "George" 7

Binks Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Anthony Binks, who settled in Georgia in 1737

Binks migration to Australia +

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

Binks Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

William Binks, aged 28, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Duchess of Northumberland"

Binks 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:

Binks Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William Binks, aged 26, a stonemason, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Dallam Tower" in 1875

Contemporary Notables of the name Binks (post 1700) +

George Alvin "Bingo" Binks (1914-2010), American Major League Baseball outfielder who played from 1944 to 1948
Sydney "Syd" Binks (1899-1978), English professional footballer who played from 1922 to 1932
James Graham "Jimmy" Binks (b. 1935), former English cricketer, Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1969
Simon John Binks (b. 1956), Australian rock guitarist and singer-songwriter for Australian Crawl from 1978 to disbanding in 1986
James Leslie Binks (b. 1948), Irish heavy metal drummer, best known as the drummer for Judas Priest
Kenneth C. Binks (b. 1925), Canadian lawyer and politician, Member of the Canadian Parliament for Ottawa West (1979-1980)

The Binks 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: Tuebor
Motto Translation: I will defend.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm