Scarbro History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The ancestors of the name Scarbro date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Scarbro family lived in the county of Yorkshire, where they held the manor of Scarborough. This place-name was originally derived from the Old English Skaroisburg, which was brought into England during the Norman Conquest of 1066.

Early Origins of the Scarbro family

The surname Scarbro was first found in North Riding of Yorkshire at Scarborough, a borough, markettown, and parish. 1

"The origin of this town has not been satisfactorily ascertained: it is supposed to have derived its name from the Saxon Scear, a rock, and Burgh, a fortified place. The earliest authentic record of it is a charter of Henry II., conferring certain privileges on the inhabitants; and in the reign of Henry III., a charter was granted for making a new pier at Scardeburgh, as the place was then called." 2

Some of the family were found further north in Scotland in early years too. "Nicholas de Scardbrow witnessed charters by Willelmus de Hawoc, burgess of Perth, c. 1245 and Roger de Scardtheburge was clericus domini regis, c. 1272. Robert de Scardeburgh was parson of the church of Conington in 1295. " 3 But this latter source notes that the name was indeed from Yorkshire.

Sir Robert de Scorburgh (d. 1340), was Baron of the Exchequer and "derived his name from Scorborough in the East Riding of Yorkshire. He is no doubt the Robert de Scorburgh of Beverley to whom there are some references in 1320 to 1322. At his death he is described as possessing the manor of Scoreby, together with property in Stamford Bridge and Etton. " 4

Early History of the Scarbro family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Scarbro research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1584, 1615, 1616, 1617, 1635, 1642, 1645, 1646, 1671, 1693 and 1694 are included under the topic Early Scarbro History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Scarbro 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 Scarbro 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. The variations of the name Scarbro include: Scarbrough, Scarboro, Scarborough, Scasbridge, Scarbrow, Scarburg, Scarburgh, Scarsbridge and many more.

Early Notables of the Scarbro family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Charles Scarborough MP FRS FRCP (1615-1693), an English physician and mathematician; Captain Edmund Scarborough (1584-1635), English barrister and graduate of Caius College; and his son, Colonel Edmund Scarborough (1617-1671) English-born, early American...
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Scarbro Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Scarbro 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 Scarbro or a variant listed above: Hannah Scarborough who settled in Virginia with her husband Mathew in 1635; Thomas Scarbourgh settled in Virginia in 1639; Richard Scarbrow settled in Virginia in 1656.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print