Goldsburg History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Goldsburg is an old Anglo-Saxon name that was given to a person who was a goldsmith, or jeweller refiner or gilder. The surname Goldsburg was also a nickname for someone with bright yellow hair which referred to gold.

Early Origins of the Goldsburg family

The surname Goldsburg 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 Goldsburg family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Goldsburg 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 Goldsburg History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Goldsburg Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Goldsburg has been recorded under many different variations, including Goldesborough, Goldsbrough, Goldisbrough, Goldsborough and many more.

Early Notables of the Goldsburg family

Notables of the family at this time include

John Goldsburgh, of Godmanchester, Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire in 1626

Migration of the Goldsburg family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Goldsburg or a variant listed above: Thomas Goldsborough who settled in Jamaica in 1686; John Goldsborough settled in Maryland in 1774.

Citations +

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