Sprayberry History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The birthplace of the surname Sprayberry is Cornwall, a rugged peninsula in southwestern England that is noted for its strong Gaelic traditions. Even though the usage of surnames was common during the Middle Ages, all English people were known only by a single name in early times. The process by which hereditary surnames came to be used is intriguing. As the number of inhabitants of Europe swelled, people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify them. Under the Feudal System of government, surnames evolved and they often reflected life on the manor and in the field. Although nickname surnames were rare among the Cornish, they did occasionally adopt names that reflected the physical characteristics or other attributes of the original bearer of the name. The name Sprayberry is a nickname type of surname for a person who is lively and alert. Tracing the origin of the name further, we found the name Sprayberry was originally from the Old English word spray, of the same meaning.

Early Origins of the Sprayberry family

The surname SprayBerry was first found in Cornwall, at St. Anthony in Roseland, a parish, in the union of Truro, W. division of the hundred of Powder.

"The living is a donative, in the patronage of the family of Spry: the tithes have been commuted for £118. The church, beautifully situated on the border of a navigable lake separating this parish from St. Mawes, contains some handsome monuments to the Spry family, of which one, by Westmacott, is to the memory of Sir Richard Spry, Rear-Admiral of the White." 1 Alternatively, the family could have originated in Spreyton in Devon which dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was known as Spreitone. 2 3

Early History of the Sprayberry family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sprayberry research. Another 308 words (22 lines of text) covering the years 1485, 1547, 1612, 1627, 1660, 1663, 1685 and 1796 are included under the topic Early Sprayberry History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sprayberry Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Spry, Spray, Spre, Spraye, Sprye, Sprey, Sprie and many more.

Early Notables of the Sprayberry family

Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sprayberry Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sprayberry Ranking

In the United States, the name Sprayberry is the 9,082^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Migration of the SprayBerry family

Study of Passenger and Immigration lists has revealed that among early immigrants bearing the Sprayberry surname were: William Spry who settled in Virginia in 1648; Oliver Sprye settled in Virginia in 1639; Francis Spry settled in North Carolina in 1701. In Newfoundland, John Spry was a Surgeon of St. John's in 1753.

Contemporary Notables of the name SprayBerry (post 1700) +

Dylan Muse Sprayberry, American actor and musician, perhaps best known for his role as the young Clark Kent in the 2013 film Man of Steel
Robert Sprayberry, American composer, known for his work on Nursie (2004), Where the Red Fern Grows: Part Two (1992) and Widow's Kiss (1996)
Ellery Sprayberry, American Young Artist Award nominated actress, known for her roles in The Butterfly Room (2012), Soccer Mom (2008) and Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas (2011)
Sarah Sprayberry, American model and beauty pageant holder, Miss Minnesota Teen USA (2008)
Lieutenant Colonel James Michael "Mike" Sprayberry (b. 1947), American Army officer and a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Vietnam War

The Sprayberry 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: Soyez sage et simple
Motto Translation: Be wise and simple.

Citations +

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)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/