Sawbie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The history of the Sawbie family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in the parish of Saxby in the counties of Lincolnshire and Leicestershire. The surname Sawbie is an example of a habitation name which forms a broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. As a general rule, the greater the distance between an individual and their homeland, the larger the territory they were named after. For example, a person who only moved to another parish would be known by the name of their original village, while people who migrated to a different country were often known by the name of a region or country from which they came.

Early Origins of the Sawbie family

The surname Sawbie was first found in Lincolnshire where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Sawbie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sawbie research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1616 and 1658 are included under the topic Early Sawbie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sawbie Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Sawbie include Saxby, Saxbe, Saxbie, Saxby and others.

Early Notables of the Sawbie family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sawbie Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Sawbie family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Sawbie or a variant listed above: John Saxby settled in Philadelphia in 1685 with his wife and five children.

The Sawbie Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Sit saxum firmum
Motto Translation: Let the stone be firm.