Show ContentsLombardy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished surname Lombardy emerged among the industrious people of Flanders, which was an important trading partner and political ally of Britain during the Middle Ages. As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Flemish surnames of this type frequently are prefixed by de la or de le, which mean of the or from the. The Lombardy family originally lived in Lombardy, Italy where the name was originally "Langobardus ‘long beard’. In the Middle Ages these Italian immigrants were moneylenders and bankers and the surname may sometimes mean ‘banker’" [1] [2]

Early Origins of the Lombardy family

The surname Lombardy was first found in Yorkshire where the Latin form Lumbardus was found in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1203. In Lincolnshire, William Lumbart was listed in the 12th century and in 1208, Martin Lumbard was recorded in the Curia Regis Rolls for Nottinghamshire in 1208. Early Huntingdonshire records show Peter le Lumbard in the Pipe Rolls of 1193 while in Staffordshire, early records there show Brankeleon le Limbard in the Assize Rolls for 1293. The Subsidy Rolls for London list Pele le Lombard in 1319. [1]

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: Jenteyt Lumbardus in London; Richard Lomberd in Kent; and John Lumbard in Oxfordshire. [3] Lombard Street, London, took its name from the district in which the Italian merchants resided.

Further to the north in Scotland, "Antony, a Lombard physician, obtained a grant of the lands of Fulton, Renfrewshire, from Alan, son of Walter, the Steward, c. 1204. In 1272 Sir Antony Lumbard quitclaimed the lands to the monastery of Paisley. " [4]

In Ireland, Nicholas Lumbard or Lombard (died after 1368) was an Irish barrister and judge. A native of Waterford City, he is presumed to be a close relative of William Lumbard, who was four times Mayor of Waterford between 1377 and 1387. It is presumed that the family had emigrated to Ireland from Lombardy, northern Italy, in the thirteenth century. The family would go on to produce nine Mayors of Waterford, giving their name to Lombard Street.

Early History of the Lombardy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lombardy research. Another 118 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1180, 1554, 1560 and 1625 are included under the topic Early Lombardy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lombardy Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Lombard, Lombart, Limbough, Limbaugh and others.

Early Notables of the Lombardy family

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

Ireland Migration of the Lombardy family to Ireland

Some of the Lombardy family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Lombardy family

Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Lombardy or a variant listed above: Bernard Lombard, who settled in New England in 1630; Garret Lombard arrived in Philadelphia in 1872; Michael Lombard settled in New Orleans in 1821 with his wife and four children..


Contemporary Notables of the name Lombardy (post 1700) +

  • William James Joseph Lombardy (1937-2017), American chess grandmaster, chess writer, teacher, and Catholic priest
  • Leslie Ellis Lombardy, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New Jersey, 2008 [5]


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. 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)
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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