Show ContentsBorradale History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The history of the Borradale family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in Cumberland, where they derived their name from the village of Borrowdale, in the parish of Crosthwaite, often called often called Grange in Borrowdale. The village dates back to at least c. 1170 when it was listed as Borgordale and meant "valley of the fort river" derived from the Old Scandinavian word "berg" + "by." 1

Early Origins of the Borradale family

The surname Borradale was first found in Cumberland, but there is another Borrowdale located in the old County of Westmorland that is often called Westmorland Borrowdale to distinguish the difference of the two locations. This latter reference is of lesser importance historically to the surname.

Early History of the Borradale family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Borradale research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1433, 1483, 1547, 1596, 1602, 1684 and 1785 are included under the topic Early Borradale History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Borradale Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Borradale include Borradaile, Borrowdale, Borowdale, Borowdall, Borodall, Barrodall and many more.

Early Notables of the Borradale family

Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Borradale Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Borradale family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Borradale or a variant listed above: a number of settlers who arrived in the New World by the 19th century.



  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)


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