Show ContentsBamborow History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Bamborow

What does the name Bamborow mean?

Bamborow is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in Banbury, a town in the county of Oxfordshire.

Early Origins of the Bamborow family

The surname Bamborow was first found in Oxfordshire, at Banbury, a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell, now in the Cherwell District. The place name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was first listed as Banesberie 1 but a Saxon chieftain is said to have built a stockade there as early as the 6th century. Literally, the place name means "stronghold of a man called Ban(n)a," from the Old English personal name + "burh." 2 Banbury Castle was built in 1135 by Alexander, Bishop of Lincoln, in a motte and bailey design. King Stephen claimed the castle in 1139 but later that year he returned it to the bishop. Archeological digs in the 1970s confirmed that it was rebuilt between 1225 and 1250. In 1648, it was demolished and stones from the castle were later used to build houses in the town.

Early History of the Bamborow family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bamborow research. Another 60 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bamborow History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bamborow Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Bamborow family name include Banbury, Bandbury, Bandebury, Bandury, Bambury, Bamberry and many more.

Early Notables of the Bamborow family

More information is included under the topic Early Bamborow Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bamborow family to Ireland

Some of the Bamborow family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bamborow family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Bamborow surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Ann Banbury who settled in Baltimore in 1790; Jane Banbury settled in Pennsylvania in 1685; William BamBerry who settled in Philadelphia in 1836. In Newfoundland, one of the family was a Captain in the seal fishery in 1833.



  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)


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