Beckworthe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

The ancient history of the Beckworthe name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided at Beckwith in the Yorkshire parish of Pannal, and it is from this location that the name Beckworthe is derived. The distinguished name Beckworthe is derived from the Old English word bece, which means beech, and the Old Norse word vior, which means wood. Thus the surname Beckworthe indicates the proximity of the town to a grove of beech trees. ^[1] The name of Beckwith is said to have been changed from Malbie in the 12th century. ^[2]

Early Origins of the Beckworthe family

The surname Beckworthe was first found in Yorkshire, where "most of the armigerous families of the name spring from, and Beckwith, a hamlet in the parish of Pannal, in that county, is probably the cradle of the race. " ^[2]

Important Dates for the Beckworthe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beckworthe research. Another 58 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Beckworthe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beckworthe Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Beckworthe include Beckwith, Beckworth, Beckworthe and others.

Early Notables of the Beckworthe family (pre 1700)

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

Migration of the Beckworthe family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Beckworthe or a variant listed above: Sir Marmaduke Beckwith of Aldborough who settled in Richmond County, Virginia in 1748; but he had been preceded by Matthew Beckwith who settled in Connecticut in 1635.

Citations

1. ^ Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
2. ^ Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.