Show ContentsHornsby History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The history of the Hornsby family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in one of the places called Hornby in Lancashire, Westmorland (now part of Cumbria), or the North Riding of Yorkshire. "This place is distinguished for its castle, which stands on the site of a Roman villa, on the summit of a bold rock of conical form, in many parts shrouded by trees, and washed by the Wenning at its base. The castle was originally founded soon after the Norman Conquest." [1]

Early Origins of the Hornsby family

The surname Hornsby was first found in Lancashire at Hornby, a township and chapelry, and formerly a market-town, in the parish of Melling, hundred of Lonsdale. There are two Hornby Castles of note: the first in Lancashire which was originally built for the Neville family in the 13th century, and the second in Yorkshire, home to the St. Quintin family.

However, we must look to the latter shire to find the first record of the surname, namely William de Horneby, who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1205. John Hornby was listed in Gloucestershire in 1376. [2] The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list the following: Johannes de Horneby and Agnes de Horneby. [3]

Early History of the Hornsby family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hornsby research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1518, 1618, 1619, 1638, 1662 and 1668 are included under the topic Early Hornsby History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hornsby Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Hornsby include Hornby, Hornbie and others.

Early Notables of the Hornsby family

Notables of the family at this time include Henry Horneby (d. 1518), Master of Peterhouse, was perhaps a native of Lincolnshire. He became a member of Clare Hall, and was afterwards elected to a fellowship at Michaelhouse. [4]William Hornby (fl. 1618), was English poet and was, "according to his own account, educated at Peterborough...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hornsby Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hornsby Ranking

In the United States, the name Hornsby is the 3,742nd most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. [5]


United States Hornsby migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Hornsby or a variant listed above:

Hornsby Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Thomas Hornsby, who landed in Virginia in 1772 [6]

Australia Hornsby migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Hornsby Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Joseph Hornsby, English convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "David Lyon" on 29th April 1830, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [7]
  • Elizabeth Hornsby, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Navarino" in 1837 [8]
  • Joseph Hornsby a farmer, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Navarino" in 1837 [8]
  • Miriam Hornsby, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Navarino" in 1837 [8]
  • Joseph Hornsby, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Diadem" in 1840 [9]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Hornsby migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Hornsby Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mrs. Anne Hornsby, (b. 1811), aged 47, English settler from England travelling from London aboard the ship "Strathallan" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st January 1859 [10]
  • Mr. Thomas Hornsby, (b. 1828), aged 30, English agricultural labourer from England travelling from London aboard the ship "Strathallan" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st January 1859 [10]
  • James Hornsby, aged 25, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "City of Auckland" in 1872

Contemporary Notables of the name Hornsby (post 1700) +

  • Bruce Hornsby (b. 1954), American musician winner of Best New Artist Grammy in 1987 with Bruce Hornsby and the Range
  • Brigadier-General Aubrey Hornsby (1895-1981), American Commanding General 308th Bombardment Wing (1946) [11]
  • Isaac Daniel Hornsby (1900-1951), American singer, musician, music writer, producer and arranger
  • Nikki Hornsby, American pop, country and blues singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • Aubrey Hornsby (1895-1981), American Brigadier General
  • Brian Hornsby (b. 1954), former English footballer (1971-1985)
  • Thomas Hornsby (1733-1810), British astronomer and mathematician, son of Thomas Hornsby of Durham, born at Oxford on 28 Aug. 1733 [12]
  • Jennifer Hornsby (b. 1951), British philosopher
  • Rogers "The Rajah" Hornsby (1896-1963), Major League Baseball player
  • Ernest C. Hornsby (b. 1936), Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd June 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/david-lyon
  8. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) NAVARINO 1837. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1837Navarino.htm
  9. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The barque DIADEM 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840Diadem.htm
  10. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  11. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, March 30) Aubrey Hornsby. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Hornsby/Aubrey/USA.html
  12. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 4 August 2020


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