The roots of the name Bisbay are found among the Strathclyde-Briton people of the ancient Scottish/English Borderlands. Bisbay was originally found in East
Renfrewshire at Busby, a village "partly in the parish of East Kilbride, Middle ward of the county of Lanark."
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print. Alternatively the name could have been derived from Great Busby in
Yorkshire which dates back to the
Domesday Book of 1086 and was listed as Buschebi.
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8) In either case, this place name is most likely derived from the Norman
buki, meaning "bush" or "shrub."
Early Origins of the Bisbay family
The surname Bisbay was first found in
Renfrewshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Rinn Friù), a historic county of
Scotland, today encompassing the Council Areas of
Renfrew, East
Renfrewshire, and Iverclyde, in the Strathclyde region of southwestern
Scotland. The name is derived from "the lands of Busby or Busbie in the parish of Carmunnock,
Renfrewshire. In 1330 the office of notary was conferred on David de Busby of the diocese of Glasgow. "
[3]CITATION[CLOSE]
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3) Further to the south, the
Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Ricardus de Busby, and Adam de Buskeby.
[4]CITATION[CLOSE]
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Early History of the Bisbay family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bisbay research.
Another 261 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1408, 1411, 1488, 1491, 1526, 1648, 1606, 1695, 1788 and 1834 are included under the topic Early Bisbay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Bisbay Spelling Variations
In the era before dictionaries, there were no rules governing the spelling or translation of names or any other words. Consequently, there are an enormous number of
spelling variations in Medieval Scottish names. Bisbay has appeared as Busby, Busbe, Busbie and others.
Early Notables of the Bisbay family (pre 1700)
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bisbay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Bisbay family to the New World and Oceana
The freedom, opportunity, and land of the North American colonies beckoned. There, Scots found a place where they were generally free from persecution and where they could go on to become important players in the birth of new nations. Some fought in the American
War of Independence, while others went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these Scottish settlers have been able to recover their lost national heritage in the last century through highland games and
Clan societies in North America. Among them: Bridget Busby who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1637; Anne Busby settled in Virginia in 1635; John Busby settled in Delaware in 1682; John Busby settled in Boston in 1637.