Kernabey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The name Kernabey is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in the region of Carnaby a parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Literally the place name means 'cairn-settlement' from the Celtic carn, cairn + Scandinavian by, meaning 'settlement, village.' 1

Early Origins of the Kernabey family

The surname Kernabey was first found in Carnaby, a parish, in the "union of Bridlington, wapentake of Dickerin in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The church is a small edifice, with an embattled tower." 2

The first records for the family are found here in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379: Rogerus de Carnaby, brasiator; and Johannes Carnaby. 3

Later records of the family were found further to the north in Caithness, Scotland, specifically with the spelling Carnabay, but that sources notes the family was "from Carnaby in the East Riding of Yorkshire." 4

Early History of the Kernabey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kernabey research. Another 143 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1404, 1407, 1541, 1552, 1595, 1624, 1628, 1629, 1640, 1642, 1645, 1669, 1677, 1772, 1805, 1808, 1823 and 1839 are included under the topic Early Kernabey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kernabey 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 Kernabey 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. 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. The variations of the name Kernabey include: Carnaby, Carnabey and others.

Early Notables of the Kernabey family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir William Carnaby (died 1407), English politician, Member of Parliament for Northumberland in 1404; Leonard Cornaby, High Sheriff of Northumberland in 1541; and William Carnaby (1595-1645), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Morpeth in 1624; for Northumberland (1628-1629), for Marlborough in 1640, and for Morpeth (1640-1642.)William Carnaby, born in London in 1772, was a chorister of the Chapel-Royal under Dr. Nares and Dr. Ayrton. On leaving the choir he...
Another 77 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kernabey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kernabey family

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 Kernabey or a variant listed above: Elizabeth Carnaby who settled in Virginia in 1741.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, 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)
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)