Show ContentsGarbutt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Garbutt is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Garbutt comes from the name Geribodo, a Germanic personal name composed of the elements geri, or gari, which means spear and bodo, which means messenger. Geribodo was the name of the 7th century saint who was Bishop of Bayeux. The name Garbutt was also a derivative of the Germanic personal name Geribald, which was composed of the elements geri, which again means spear, and bald, which means bold or brave. This name was borne by a 9th century saint who was the Bishop of Chalons-sur-Seine.

Early Origins of the Garbutt family

The surname Garbutt was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. Gherbode, was created Earl of Chester by Duke William of Normandy, after he had a conflict with the previous Earl, Earl Hugh, who was transferred to Carlisle Castle. Gherbode, also known as Gerbode the Fleming, was William's step-son. This Earl Gherbode or Gerbodo also held lands in Yorkshire.

Early History of the Garbutt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Garbutt research. Another 68 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1486 and 1790 are included under the topic Early Garbutt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Garbutt Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Garbutt, Garbut, Garbit, Garbitt, Garbet, Garbot, Garbott, Garbett, Garbed, Gabit, Gabut, Gabutt, Gerbot and many more.

Early Notables of the Garbutt family

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

Garbutt Ranking

In the United States, the name Garbutt is the 17,343rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Garbutt migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Garbutt or a variant listed above were:

Garbutt Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Peter Garbutt to West New Jersey in 1664
Garbutt Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Garbutt, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1855 2
  • Robert James Garbutt to Texas in 1896

Canada Garbutt migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Garbutt Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Richard Garbutt to Nova Scotia in 1774 with his wife and six children

Contemporary Notables of the name Garbutt (post 1700) +

  • John Garbutt (1779-1855), English-born, American shoemaker, farmer, surveyor and politician, Member of the New York State Assembly for Monroe Co. in 1829
  • Cynthia Garbutt, American actress, known for The Theory of Everything (2014), Tag (2015) and Kick-Ass 2 (2013)
  • Mary E. Garbutt, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from California 9th District, 1920 3
  • John Garbutt, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Monroe County, 1829 3
  • F. A. Garbutt, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from California, 1908 3
  • Bruce D. Garbutt, American politician, Mayor of Ferndale, Michigan, 1949-67 3
  • Vincent Paul "Vin" Garbutt (1947-2017), English folk singer and songwriter, known for his protest songs
  • Luke Samuel Garbutt (b. 1993), English professional footballer
  • William Thomas "Willy" Garbutt (1883-1964), English football player, and later a prominent coaching figure in Italian and Spanish football
  • Josh Garbutt (b. 1984), Canadian professional ice hockey player who played from 2005 to 2009
  • ... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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