| ![Show Contents]() Gorthorp History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
England
Etymology of GorthorpWhat does the name Gorthorp mean? The Gorthorp surname was derived from any of several place names in West Yorkshire. The place names are thought to be derived from the Old Norse word "gaukr," which meant "cuckoo bird." 1 Early Origins of the Gorthorp familyThe surname Gorthorp was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire at Gawthorpe, also known as Gawthorp, a hamlet in the Kirklees district. Gawthhorpe is also a village to the north of Ossett, in the Wakefield district and an electoral ward in the non-metropolitan district of Burnley in Lancashire. 2 Gawthorpe Hall is an Elizabethan country house on the banks of the River Calder, in the Borough of Burnley, Lancashire. Sifting though archival materials, we found few early entries for the family. Crystofer Gawthorp was a Freeman of York in 1541 and later, William Gawthropp was listed in Yorkshire in 1672. 3 Early History of the Gorthorp familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gorthorp research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487 and 1730 are included under the topic Early Gorthorp History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Gorthorp Spelling VariationsThe 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. Gorthorp has been recorded under many different variations, including Gawthorpe, Gaythorpe, Gathorne, Gauthorpe, Gawthrop, Gawthropp, Gawthrup, Gawthrupp, Gawthrope, Gathrope, Gaythorpe, Gathorn, Gorthorp and many more. Early Notables of the Gorthorp familyAnother 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gorthorp Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Gorthorp familyFor 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 Gorthorp or a variant listed above: Richard Gawthrope, a bonded passenger who arrived in America in 1763.
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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