Belstead History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Belstead

What does the name Belstead mean?

Belstead is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in or around the parish of Belstead, which was located in the diocese of Norwich and county Suffolk.

Early Origins of the Belstead family

The surname Belstead was first found in Suffolk, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Belstead family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Belstead research. Another 240 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1273 and 1500 are included under the topic Early Belstead History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Belstead 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 Belstead family name include Belstead, Bellstead, Bestede, Belsted, Bellsted, Bellestede and many more.

Early Notables of the Belstead family

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

Belstead migration to the United States +

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 Belstead surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Belstead Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

W. Belstead, who arrived in San Francisco in 1852