Westbrech History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The roots of the Anglo-Saxon name Westbrech come from when the family resided in one of the places called Westbrook in Kent, Berkshire, or on the Isle of Wight. The surname Westbrech belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Westbrech family

The surname Westbrech was first found in Kent where one of the first records of the name was Reginald de Westbroc who in 1255 was listed in that county's Feet of Fines. A few years later, John de Westbroke was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327. Over one hundred years later, Edmind Westbrook was listed in the Feet of Fines of Essex in 1440. 1 Another reference lists Richards de Westbrek in Surrey during the reign of Edward I 2. They were Lords of the manor of Elsted for many years.

Early History of the Westbrech family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Westbrech research. Another 70 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1616, 1659, 1660, 1666, 1675 and 1743 are included under the topic Early Westbrech History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Westbrech Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Westbrech has been recorded under many different variations, including Westbrooke, Westbrook, Westbrock, Westbrocke and others.

Early Notables of the Westbrech family

Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Westbrech Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Westbrech family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Westbrech or a variant listed above: John Westbrook who settled in West New Jersey in 1664; William Westbrook landed in America in 1772; William T. Westbrook settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1859.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)