Show ContentsBlackbeard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The history of the name Blackbeard begins in the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It was a name for a man with a black beard.

Early Origins of the Blackbeard family

The surname Blackbeard was first found in Hampshire, where evidence suggests they held a family seat before the Norman Conquest.

Early History of the Blackbeard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blackbeard research. Another 178 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1206, 1273, 1275, 1279, 1379, 1397, 1399, 1612 and 1721 are included under the topic Early Blackbeard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blackbeard Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Blackbeard are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Blackbeard include: Blackbeard, Blackbird, Blachebiert, Blacberd, Blakeberd, Blakebird and many more.

Early Notables of the Blackbeard family

More information is included under the topic Early Blackbeard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Blackbeard migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Blackbeard or a variant listed above:

Blackbeard Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Mary Blackbeard, who arrived in Virginia in 1718 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Blackbeard (post 1700) +

  • Captain Blackbeard (1680-1718), nickname of Edward Teach, a notorious English pirate in the West Indies and the eastern coast of the American colonies
  • William Elsworth "Bill" Blackbeard (b. 1926), American comic strip historian and author, founder-director of the San Francisco Academy of Comic Art


  1. 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)


Houseofnames.com on Facebook