Show ContentsBusbay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Busbay was first used by the ancient Strathclyde-Briton people of the Scottish/English Borderlands. The first Busbay family lived in East Renfrewshire at Busby, a village "partly in the parish of East Kilbride, Middle ward of the county of Lanark." 1 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 In either case, this place name is most likely derived from the Norman buki, meaning "bush" or "shrub."

Early Origins of the Busbay family

The surname Busbay 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 Further to the south in England, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Ricardus de Busby, and Adam de Buskeby. 4

"During the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries the Busbys of Radford and Gagingwell were well - to - do Enstone yeomen, who frequently filled the office of churchwarden and other places of trust. William Busby was one of the trustees for Lady Le Strange of Middleton in the reign of Henry VI.. William Busby, gent., was an assistant - burgess of Banbury in 1718, in which town the name still occurs. Busby is the name of a parish in the North Riding of Yorkshire." 5

Early History of the Busbay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Busbay research. Another 132 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1408, 1411, 1488, 1491, 1526, 1606, 1635, 1644, 1648, 1695, 1755, 1769, 1786 and 1799 are included under the topic Early Busbay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Busbay Spelling Variations

Surnames that evolved in Scotland in the Middle Ages often appear under many spelling variations. These are due to the practice of spelling according to sound in the era before dictionaries had standardized the English language. Busbay has appeared as Busby, Busbe, Busbie and others.

Early Notables of the Busbay family

Notable amongst the family at this time was The Rev. Dr. Richard Busby (1606-1695), an English clergyman, and headmaster of Westminster School, buried in Westminster Abbey.Nathaniel Bisby or Bisbie (1635-1695), was an English divine, son of the Rev. John Bisbie, of Tipton, Staffordshire, who was ejected from a rebend in Lichfield Cathedral about 1644. At the Restoration he was resented to the rectory of Long Melford, Sudbury, Suffolk. He died 14 May 1695, and was buried at Long Melford. 6Thomas Busby was born in Westminster, 1755...
Another 86 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Busbay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Busbay family

The North American colonies beckoned, with their ample land and opportunity as their freedom from the persecution suffered by so many Clan families back home. Many Scots even fought against England in the American War of Independence to gain this freedom. Recently, clan societies have allowed the ancestors of these brave Scottish settlers to rediscover their familial roots. 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.



  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  3. 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)
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  6. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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