Show ContentsGoldisbroe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Goldisbroe

What does the name Goldisbroe mean?

The name Goldisbroe is rooted in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It is a name for someone who worked as a goldsmith, or jeweller refiner or gilder. The surname Goldisbroe was also a nickname for someone with bright yellow hair which referred to gold.

Early Origins of the Goldisbroe family

The surname Goldisbroe was first found in Yorkshire at Goldsborough, a parish, in the Upper division of the wapentake of Claro, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Goldsborough Hall, built in the reign of James I., is the property of the Earl of Harewood. 1

The parish dates back to at least the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was recorded as Godenesburg. By 1170, it was known as Godelesburc and literally meant "stronghold of a man called Godel." 2 Today this stately home has been fully restored to its finest glory. In the Church of St. Mary, there are memorials to Richard de Goldsburgh (d.1308) and his son (d.1333), both are effigies of an armoured knight.

Early History of the Goldisbroe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Goldisbroe research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1548, 1568, 1584, 1598, 1604, 1606, 1618, 1626, 1691, 1693 and 1702 are included under the topic Early Goldisbroe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Goldisbroe Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Goldisbroe are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Goldisbroe include: Goldesborough, Goldsbrough, Goldisbrough, Goldsborough and many more.

Early Notables of the Goldisbroe family

Notables of the family at this time include John Goldsburgh, of Godmanchester, Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire in 1626. Godfrey Goldsborough (1548-1604), was Bishop of Gloucester, born in 1548 in the town of Cambridge. On 28 Aug. 1598 he was elected bishop of Gloucester, and he was consecrated at Lambeth on 12 Nov. Before leaving London he made a will, dated 7 March 1691, wherein he described himself as 'of Bethnall Green, in the county of Middlesex, knight, being bound on a voyage to the East India beyond the seas in the shipp Berkly Castle'. Not long after his death his widow...
Another 156 words (11 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Goldisbroe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Goldisbroe family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Goldisbroe or a variant listed above: Thomas Goldsborough who settled in Jamaica in 1686; John Goldsborough settled in Maryland in 1774.



  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)


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