Houldebay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the Houldebay surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in Holtby, a parish, in the wapentake of Bulmer, in the North Riding of Yorkshire near York. 1

Early Origins of the Houldebay family

The surname Houldebay was first found in Yorkshire at Holtby. The place dates back to at least the Domesday Book from 1086 2 where it was listed as Holtebi or Boltebi and literally meant "farmstead or village of a man called Holti" derived from the Old Scandinavian personal name + by. 3

Ainderby Mires with Holtby is a civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, and this civil parish also dates back to the Domesday Book 2 where it was listed as Eltebi or Heltebi.

The first record of the family was William de Holtebi who was listed in Yorkshire in the Pipe Rolls of 1208. William and John Holteby were listed in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1303 and then again in the Assize Rolls for Lancashire in 1396. 4

Early History of the Houldebay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Houldebay research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1208, 1303, 1553, 1577, 1578 and 1640 are included under the topic Early Houldebay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Houldebay Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Houldebay include Holtby, Holteby and others.

Early Notables of the Houldebay family

Notables of the family at this time include Father Richard Holtby (1553-1640), an English Jesuit Superior and Roman Catholic priest. He was born at Fryton, Yorkshire in 1553, was the second son of Lancelot Holtby of that place by Ellen [Butler] of Nunnington, in Ryedale, Yorkshire. "Holtby was a fellow-pupil with...
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Houldebay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Houldebay family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: William Holtby settled in Virginia in 1635; John Holtby settled in New England in 1648.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)