Show ContentsBirnevile History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Birnevile

What does the name Birnevile mean?

Birnevile is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest brought to England in 1066. The Birnevile family lived in Berwickshire. The name refers to the family's former place of residence, Burneville, in the Eure region of Normandy. After arriving in England with the Norman invasion in 1066, the family gave their name to the area over which they held lordship.

Early Origins of the Birnevile family

The surname Birnevile was first found in Berwickshire where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Birnevile family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Birnevile research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1069, 1150, 1190 and 1333 are included under the topic Early Birnevile History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Birnevile Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Burnville, Burnfield, Burneville, Burnefield, Bournville and many more.

Early Notables of the Birnevile family

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

Migration of the Birnevile family

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Birnevile or a variant listed above: Frederick Brownville who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1840; Elizabeth Brownfeild settled in Georgia in 1737; Joe Brownfield settled in Georgia in 1735 with his wife.



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