| ![Show Contents]() Bersy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
England
Etymology of BersyWhat does the name Bersy mean? Bersy is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Bersy family lived in Wiltshire. The family name comes from a place in Normandy called Burcy, in the arrondisement of Vire, Canton of Vassy, Normandy. 1 In Devon, the name was often spelt Birhsie, having derived from the Old English word Beorhtsige. 2 Early Origins of the Bersy familyThe surname Bersy was first found in Wiltshire where Serlo de Burci held lands in 1084. 2 Later, after the Norman Conquest, the Domesday Book of 1086 lists Serle Borci as holding lands in Somerset. 3 Still in Somerset, almost one hundred years later, Hugo de Burci was a Knights Templar in 1185. In Herefordshire, Rannulf Bursi was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1195 and in Norfolk, Hugh Bursey was listed there in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1275. 2 Early History of the Bersy familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bersy research. Another 293 words (21 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1084, 1165, 1185 and 1582 are included under the topic Early Bersy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Bersy Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Bersy are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Bersy include Bursey, Burcey, Bursie, Boursey, Borsey, Bourcey, Borsie and many more. Early Notables of the Bersy familyMore information is included under the topic Early Bersy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Bersy familyFaced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Bersy, or a variant listed above: Richard Bursey, who settled in Maryland in 1742; and Catherine Bursy, who arrived in America in 1752.
- The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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