The Anglo-Saxon name Whiborough comes from Wigburh, a feminine name meaning "war-fortress." It was recorded once in 901 (as a personal name) and did not appear again until the 12th century. The record of the name from the 12th century is from Suffolk, where Wyburgh was recorded in church records in Bury, sometime between the years 1182 and 1211. This makes this name a metronymic vernacular name. The vernacular or regional naming tradition is the oldest and most pervasive type of metronymic surname. According to this custom, names were originally composed of vocabulary elements from the local language. Vernacular names that were derived from ancient Germanic personal names have cognates in most European languages. For example, the court of Charlemagne (742-814) was Christian and Latin-speaking, but the Frankish dialect of Old German was commonly used for personal names. Vernacular names were widespread throughout Normandy. Accordingly, many typical English and French names are in fact, originally of Germanic origin and often have cognates in other European countries.
Loading...
Early Origins of the Whiborough family
The surname Whiborough was first found in Devon where they held a family seat from ancient times, some say before the Norman Conquest in 1066.
Loading...
Early History of the Whiborough family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Whiborough research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1461 is included under the topic Early Whiborough History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Loading...
Whiborough Spelling Variations
One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Whiborough has appeared include Wybrew, Wibbery, Wybbery, Whybrew, Whybrow, Wyebrough, Wybrow and many more.
Loading...
Early Notables of the Whiborough family
More information is included under the topic Early Whiborough Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Loading...
Migration of the Whiborough family
At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Whiborough arrived in North America very early: John WyBerry settled in Barbados in 1635.
England
Scotland
