Burre History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Burre is a name of Anglo-Saxon origin. It was a name given to a determined person. The surname Burre is derived from the Old English word burre, which first appeared c. 1330 and has taken the spellings of bur and burr in modern English. Shakespeare used the word to describe a person who "clings like a burr" and is "difficult to shake off," but this sense of the word is probably much older.

Early Origins of the Burre family

The surname Burre was first found in Lincolnshire but we must look to West Bergholt in Essex for the earliest recording of the name. "A chantry was founded here in 1331, by J. De Bures, for a priest to officiate at the altar of the Virgin Mary." 1

"The Bowers of Iwerne House, Dorset, claim descent from Michael de Bures, a contemporary of the Conquerors, whose son Walter gave its present name of Bures to a small manor he possessed near Calne in Wiltshire. Nicholas de Boure, 2 Richard II., was seated at Boure's Place, near Deverell, holding part of his estate in capite; and Boure's Field, in the same county, belonged to his brother William." 2

"Sir Robert de Bures, Lord of Chartley, Stafford, served as Knight of the shire in 1313. Sir John de Bures of Somersetshire, several times mentioned at the same period in the Parliamentary Rolls, who likewise held lands in Berkshire and Gloucestershire." 2

Further north in Scotland, the name is also an ancient one. "Burr is an old name in the district of Tarves, Aberdeenshire, and is still pretty general there. Andrew de Burr of Mundole and Culbyn had a remission in 1337, and Andrea Burr was clerk of liberation in 1342. Walter Bur or Burre had a charter of an annual rent in the lands of Tyrie and Sefield in the constabulary of Kinghorne from David II. Robert Bure was procurator in Glasgow in 1433, and in 1440-1442 a Robert Burr or Bur is mentioned as vicar of Peebles." 3

Early History of the Burre family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Burre research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1340, 1343, 1397 and 1520 are included under the topic Early Burre History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burre Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Burre were recorded, including Burr, Bur, Burre and others.

Early Notables of the Burre family

Distinguished members of the family include

William Burre, Bailie of Ballindane

Burre migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Burre family emigrate to North America:

Burre Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

James Burre, who settled in Virginia in 1607

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 1 of 3
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)