Burnaby History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Burnaby surname lived in Burnby, or as the place-name was recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086, in Brunebi. Burnby is in the East Riding of Yorkshire having derived from the Old Norse, and means "farm or homestead by the spring or stream." 1

Another source claims the place name literally means the "residence of Beorn," 2

Early Origins of the Burnaby family

The surname Burnaby was first found in Leicestershire where "from the 13th to the 15th century the Burnebys were an influential county family; in the 17th century the Burnebys or Burnabys possessed a family vault in Asfordby church; Burnaby was a well - known and sometimes a distinguished clerical name in Leicestershire during last century. " 3

The name of De Burneby was represented in Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire in the 13th century. As to underscore that entry, we must look to Bedfordshire to find the first entry for the family in early rolls. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed John de Burneby as holding lands there at that time. 4

Early History of the Burnaby family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Burnaby research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1429, 1600, 1700 and 1703 are included under the topic Early Burnaby History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burnaby 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 Burnaby 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 Burnaby include: Burnaby, Burnby, Bernaby, Burneby and others.

Early Notables of the Burnaby family

Notables of the family at this time include Charles Barnaby (fl. 1700-1703), author of four comedies. "The dedications to the printed editions of two of his plays are to the Duke of Ormonde and Lord...
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Burnaby Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burnaby 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 Burnaby or a variant listed above:

Burnaby Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Carew Burnaby who settled in New England in 1759

Burnaby Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Alfemon E. Burnaby, aged 42, who immigrated to the United States from Leicester, England, in 1910
Mano Fieto Burnaby, aged 28, who immigrated to the United States from Leicester, England, in 1910
Murna Burnaby, aged 23, who landed in America, in 1913
Minna Burnaby, aged 36, who settled in America from Baggrane, England, in 1921
Minnie Field Burnaby, aged 40, who immigrated to the United States from Leicester, England, in 1922
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Burnaby (post 1700) +

Algernon Edwyn Burnaby (1686-1938), English landowner of Baggrave Hall, Leicestershire, soldier, and Justice of the Peace.
Edwyn Sherard Burnaby (1830-1883), English major-general, Conservative Party Member of Parliament (MP) for Leicestershire North
Edwyn Burnaby (1798-1867), English landowner, Justice of the Peace, Deputy Lieutenant, and High Sheriff of Leicestershire in 1864
Colonel Frederick Gustavus Burnaby (1842-1885), English soldier and traveler, born at Bedford on 3 March 1842, son of the Rev. Gustavus Andrew Burnaby of Somersby Hall, Leicestershire, (d. 1872) and canon of Middleham in Yorkshire 5
Andrew Burnaby (1734-1812), English clergyman and traveler, the eldest son of the Rev. Andrew Burnaby of Brampton Manor House, Huntingdonshire 5
Sir Henry Burnaby (1829-1914), 5th Baronet
Sir William Edward Burnaby (1824-1881), 4th Baronet
Sir William Crisp Hood Burnaby (1788-1853), 3rd Baronet
Sir William Chaloner Burnaby (1746-1794), 2nd Baronet
Sir William Burnaby (1710-1776), English naval officer, Sheriff of Oxfordshire (1755-1756), Royal Navy Vice-Admiral, created 1st Baronet Burnaby in 1767
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

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.
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)
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 5 Feb. 2019