Gibbney History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Gibbney first arose amongst the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from their having lived in the village of Gedney in the county of Lincolnshire. The place-name is derived from the Old English Gyddan-ea, which literally means Gydda's island. Another source notes the place name probably means "island or well-watered land of a man called Gaeda or Gydda," from the Old English personal name. 1

Early Origins of the Gibbney family

The surname Gibbney was first found in Lincolnshire at Gedney, a village and civil parish in the South Holland district that dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was listed as Gadenai. 2

"The church [of Gedney] is a beautiful structure, supposed to have been built by the abbots of Crowland, who had large possessions in the parish; it contains 53 windows, those of the north aisle having considerable remains of painted glass." 3

Today the parish includes the hamlets of Gedney Drove End, Gedney Dyke, Gedney Dawsmere, and Gedney Marsh.

One of the first records of the family was found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where Hervey de Gedeney was listed in Lincolnshire. 4

Early History of the Gibbney family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gibbney research. Another 55 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1640, 1698 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Gibbney History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gibbney Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Gibbney has appeared include Gidney, Gibney, Gedney, Gibbney and others.

Early Notables of the Gibbney family

Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gibbney Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gibbney family to Ireland

Some of the Gibbney family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gibbney family

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Gibbney arrived in North America very early: Martha Gibeney who settled in Charleston in 1772; Bridget Gibney settled in New York State in 1845 with her husband; James, Lawrence, Michael, Thomas, and William Gibney all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, 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)