Clisbay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Clisbay is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Clisbay family lived in the North Riding of Yorkshire at Cleasby, a parish in the union of Darlington, wapentake of Gilling-East. 1 2

Early Origins of the Clisbay family

The surname Clisbay was first found in Yorkshire where the village of Cleasby (sometimes Clesby) in the North Riding of Yorkshire was held by Enisan, a Norman noble, who is the conjectural ancestor of the Cleasby surname. 3 4

The first reference for the family was found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 as Johannes de Clesbe. 5

Early History of the Clisbay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clisbay research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1202, 1273, 1300, 1379, 1416, 1587 and 1784 are included under the topic Early Clisbay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clisbay Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Clisbay are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Clisbay include Clesby, Cleasby, Clisby, Clisbee, Clesbie, Clesebi, Cleseby, Clesby, Clesbe and many more.

Early Notables of the Clisbay family

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

Migration of the Clisbay family

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Clisbay, or a variant listed above: William Clisby who arrived in America in 1768.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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)