Herbit History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The name Herbit arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Herbit comes from the Germanic personal name Herbert. It is also an Old French given name derived from the Old German name Hariberct or Her(e)bert. This Germanic name contains the elements harja which means army and berhta, which means bright. The name was first borne by St. Herbert or Herebert (d. 687), who was an early "hermit, resided on the island in Derwentwater which still bears his name. He was a disciple and close friend of St. Cuthbert, to whom he paid an annual visit for spiritual advice. The two friends both died on 20 March 687, Herebert suffering much from sickness before his death." 1

"The noble Herberts descend from Herbert, Count of Vemandois, who came hither with the Conqueror, and was chamberlain to William Rufus. Collins says: 'the genealogists deduce the family from Herbert, a natural son of King Henry I., but I think it more evident that Henry Fitz-Herbert, chamberlain to the said king, was ancestor to all of the name of Herbert.' " 2

Early Origins of the Herbit family

The surname Herbit was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where the Latin forms of the name, Herbertus and Hereberd were recorded. 3

Herbertus capellanus was listed in Suffolk in 1148-1156. William Herebert was the first listing not in Latin in Dorset in 1206. Richard Herbert, Herebert, Herberd was found in the Assize Rolls for Worcester in 1221 and Johannes Herberti was found in Norfolk in 1230. 4

In Scotland, "about the year 1200 Herbert filius Herberti de Camera granted a half carucate in Dunipace to the Abbey of Cambuskenneth. One or other of these Herberts most probably gave name to Herbertshire near Denny, Stirlingshire. Herbert, third abbot of Selkirk, was bishop of Glasgow, 1147-1164." 5

Herbert of Bosham (fl. 1162-1186), was an early English biographer, "has told us himself that he was born at the place whence he took his name, Bosham, or, as he spells it, Boseham, in Sussex. " 1

Early History of the Herbit family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Herbit research. Another 106 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1206, 1230, 1333, 1423, 1468, 1469, 1550, 1572, 1583, 1587, 1593, 1595, 1598, 1606, 1617, 1621, 1625, 1626, 1640, 1644, 1646, 1648, 1655, 1659, 1663, 1667, 1673, 1682, 1685, 1687, 1689, 1690, 1691, 1696, 1716, 1756, 1797, 1821, 1840, 1866, 1880 and 1901 are included under the topic Early Herbit History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Herbit Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Herbert, Herbit, Herbutt and others.

Early Notables of the Herbit family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (c. 1423-1469), known as "Black William", was the son of William ap Thomas, founder of Raglan Castle; Sir John Herbert (1550-1617), Welsh lawyer and diplomat, Secretary of State under Elizabeth I and James I; Sir Henry Herbert (1595-1673), Master of the Revels to both King Charles I and King Charles II; Sir Richard Herbert; William Herbert, 1st Baron Powis (1572-1655) was a Welsh politician; Percy Herbert, 2nd Baron Powis (1598-1667), an English writer and politician; George Herbert (1593-1663), an English (Welsh born) poet and academic, who became...
Another 116 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Herbit Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Herbit family to Ireland

Some of the Herbit family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 191 words (14 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 Herbit family

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Herbit or a variant listed above: Elizabeth Herbert, who settled in Barbados in 1671; John Herbert settled in Salem Massachusetts in 1630; Thomas Herbert settled in Virginia in 1651; William Herbert and his wife Elizabeth settled in Barbados in 1679.

The Herbit Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Constantia et Fortitudine
Motto Translation: By constancy and fortitude.

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)