Bonaby History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Bonaby name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived in Burnby, or as the place-name was recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086, in Brunebi. Burnby is in the East Riding of Yorkshire having derived from the Old Norse, and means "farm or homestead by the spring or stream." 1

Another source claims the place name literally means the "residence of Beorn," 2

Early Origins of the Bonaby family

The surname Bonaby was first found in Leicestershire where "from the 13th to the 15th century the Burnebys were an influential county family; in the 17th century the Burnebys or Burnabys possessed a family vault in Asfordby church; Burnaby was a well - known and sometimes a distinguished clerical name in Leicestershire during last century. " 3

The name of De Burneby was represented in Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire in the 13th century. As to underscore that entry, we must look to Bedfordshire to find the first entry for the family in early rolls. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed John de Burneby as holding lands there at that time. 4

Early History of the Bonaby family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bonaby research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1429, 1600, 1700 and 1703 are included under the topic Early Bonaby History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bonaby Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Bonaby has undergone many spelling variations, including Burnaby, Burnby, Bernaby, Burneby and others.

Early Notables of the Bonaby family

Notables of the family at this time include Charles Barnaby (fl. 1700-1703), author of four comedies. "The dedications to the printed editions of two of his plays are to the Duke of Ormonde and Lord...
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bonaby Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bonaby family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Bonaby were among those contributors: Carew Burnaby who settled in New England in 1759; and many settled in Canada and gave their name to Burnaby, B.C.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)