Berkshir History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Berkshir

What does the name Berkshir mean?

The Anglo-Saxon name Berkshir comes from when the family resided in Berkshire, Wiltshire, and Yorkshire. The name was originally rendered in the Old English form Berrocsire, which was originally derived from the town so named, and later evolved into its more modern form. It is of ancient Celtic derivation, coming from the elements berro, meaning hilly, and scir, meaning district.

Early Origins of the Berkshir family

The surname Berkshir was first found in Wiltshire, where the name may have developed to identify a person from Berkshire County.

Early History of the Berkshir family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Berkshir research. Another 37 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1249, 1317 and 1525 are included under the topic Early Berkshir History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Berkshir Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Berkshir has been recorded under many different variations, including Berkshire, Burkshire, Birkshire, Berkshir and others.

Early Notables of the Berkshir family

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

Migration of the Berkshir family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Berkshir or a variant listed above: members of this family who migrated to Newfoundland including William Birkshire who was registered in 1871.