Philbrick History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The surname Philbrick was derived from Felbrigg, a small village just south of Cromer in Norfolk. The place dates back to the Domesday Book where it was part of the North Erpingham Hundred and named Felebruge. The name was derived from the Old Norse "fjol" + the Old English word "brycg" and meant "bridge made of planks." 1 Today the Felbrigg Estate is owned by the National Trust and covers 1,760 acres and in the village church, 14th-century brasses of Sir Simon de Felbrigge and his wife can be viewed.

Early Origins of the Philbrick family

The surname Philbrick was first found in Norfolk at Felbrigg, a parish, in the union of Erpingham, hundred of North Erpingham. The church of Felbrigg gives evidence of the first record of the family. "On a large marble slab in the nave, is a fine brass representing the figure, in complete armour, of Sir Simon de Felbrigge, who lived in the reign of Henry VI., and was one of the early knights of the Garter." 2 He was born in Erpingham in 1367 and died there in 1443. He was son of Sir Roger Fylbrigg de Felbrigge (c. 1316-1380.) And he was son of Simon de Felbrigge, Lord of Felbrigge (c. 1274-1351.) His father Roger de Felbrigge (le Bigod), (1254-1295) was son of Sir Simon le Bigod. Conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Felbrigg, Metton under-tenant of Roger Bigod who was recorded in the Domesday Book 3 census of 1086. Sir Simon de Felbrigge, son of Sir Roger Bigod, assumed the name of Felbrigg.

Early History of the Philbrick family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Philbrick research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1347, 1395, 1397 and 1620 are included under the topic Early Philbrick History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Philbrick 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 Felbridge, Fellbridge, Felbrigge, Felbrige, Felbridg, Fellbrygge and many more.

Early Notables of the Philbrick family

Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Philbrick Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Philbrick Ranking

In the United States, the name Philbrick is the 8,894^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Philbrick 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 Philbrick or a variant listed above were:

Philbrick Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Philbrick, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1630 5
John Philbrick, who landed in Hampton, NH in 1650 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Philbrick (post 1700) +

Clarence "Clancy" Hunt Philbrick (b. 1986), American contemporary artist
Stephen Philbrick, American author, poet, and minister
Nathaniel Philbrick (b. 1956), American author, winner of the National Book Award (2000)

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)