Show ContentsBendbo History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Bendbo

What does the name Bendbo mean?

The name Bendbo comes from one of the family having worked as a person employed as an archer which is derived from the Old English words bend, which means to bend, and bowe which means bow. 1

Early Origins of the Bendbo family

The surname Bendbo was first found in the North Riding of Yorkshire, where they family came descent from Benningbrough, a township, in the parish of Newton-upon-Ouse, union of York, wapentake of Bulmer. 2 3

Another source claims "Benbow is the name of an ancient Shropshire family, to which belonged Colonel Benbow, a zealous Royalist, who met his death at Shrewsbury in 1651 for corresponding with the King; from this stock also came Admiral Benbow, who was born, at Cotton Hill, Shrewsbury, in 1650. " 4

Early History of the Bendbo family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bendbo research. Another 96 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1349, 1440, 1545, 1585, 1607, 1623, 1653, 1681, 1702, 1708, 1729 and 1883 are included under the topic Early Bendbo History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bendbo Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Bendbo have been found, including: Benbow, Bendbow, Benbowe, Bendbowe, Benbough, Bendebowe and many more.

Early Notables of the Bendbo family

Rear-Admiral John Benbow (1653-1702), whose most famous exploit took place in August 1702 when he kept up a running fight for four days with a French squadron off St Marta in the West Indies after being deserted by most of his fleet, eponym of three Royal Navy ships. The 256797 Benbow main belt asteroid was named after the Admiral Benbow Inn, a tavern in Robert Louis Stevenson's 1883 novel Treasure Island. His son, John Benbow (c.1681-1708), was an English traveller, who wrote an early account...
Another 83 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bendbo Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bendbo family

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Among the first immigrants of the name Bendbo, or a variant listed above to cross the Atlantic and come to North America were : Ann Benbow who sailed to Virginia in 1652.



  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  4. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.


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