Barstone History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Barstone

What does the name Barstone mean?

The origins of the Barstone name come from when the Anglo-Saxon tribes ruled over Britain. The name Barstone was originally derived from a family having lived in Yorkshire, where they took their name from Bairstow in West Yorkshire. The place-name is derived from the Old English terms beger, for berries, and stow, for grow. It referred to "the place where berries are grown". 1

Early Origins of the Barstone family

The surname Barstone was first found in Yorkshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times, long before the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 A.D.

Alternatively, the Barton variant could have originated at Barston, a parish, in the union of Solihull, Solihull division of the hundred of Hemlingford in Warwickshire. "In Domesday Book it is written Bercestone, the name, it is supposed, of a possessor in the time of the Saxons. It was anciently given to the Knights Templars and the Hospitallers." 2

Early History of the Barstone family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Barstone research. Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Barstone History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Barstone Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Barstone include Barstow, Bairstow, Bairstoe, Barstoe and others.

Early Notables of the Barstone family

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

Migration of the Barstone family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: George and William Barstow who settled in Massachusetts in 1620; George Barstow settled in Boston, Massachusetts in 1663; William Bairstow arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1872..

Sources +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.