Show ContentsBarnabey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The lineage of the name Barnabey begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It is a result of when they lived in Barnby Hall, in the North Riding of Yorkshire. The name of that place is derived from the Old English personal name Beornwald, which comes from the words beorn, meaning young warrior, and wald, meaning rule. 1 Today, Barnby is also a village and civil parish in the Waveney district of Suffolk.

Early Origins of the Barnabey family

The surname Barnabey was first found in Yorkshire, where the earliest record is at Barnby Hall, in the parish of Calthorne, in the east riding of Yorkshire. 2 "The township anciently belonged to a family of the same name; mention occurring of Robert de Barneby, who held the lands under Peter de Mauley, lord of Mulgrave." 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 lists: Richard de Barneby in Yorkshire; and Henry de Barneby in Lincolnshire. Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Thomas de Barmby; and Thomas de Barnby. 4

Barnby in the North Riding of Yorkshire was an ancient family seat. "The township anciently belonged to a family of the same name; mention occurring of Robert de Barneby, who held the lands under Peter de Mauley, lord of Mulgrave." 3

Early History of the Barnabey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Barnabey research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1000, 1550, 1838 and 1875 are included under the topic Early Barnabey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Barnabey Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Barnabey has undergone many spelling variations, including Barneby, Barnby, Barnaby, Bernaby, Burnaby and many more.

Early Notables of the Barnabey family

Notables of the family at this time include Joseph Barnby, born at York Aug. 12, 1838, a chorister in York Minster, and student at the Royal Academy of Music: was for nine years organist of St. Andrew's, Wells Street, London, and contributed much...
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Barnabey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Barnabey family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Barnabey were among those contributors: John Barnabie who settled in Virginia in 1620; James Barnaby who settled in Virginia in 1640; Sarah Barnaby who settled in Virginia in 1640.



The Barnabey 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: Virtute non vi
Motto Translation: By virtue not by force.


  1. Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)


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