Show ContentsLasonbay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Lasonbay is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in Lazonby, in Cumberland, or in Lazenby, in Yorkshire. The place-name Lazenby and Lazonby have the same etymology. They are derived from the Old Scandinavian words leysingi, which meant "freed men," and by, which meant farm or enclosure. The place-name as a whole means "farm of the freed men." It is possible that the name is derived from the old Scandinavian personal name Leysingr. The Scandinavians have had a lasting impact on the north of England, thanks to the waves of pillage, invasion and colonization which started in the eighth and 9th centuries and ended in the 10th. There are many place-names in the north of England which have Norse and Scandinavian elements.

Early Origins of the Lasonbay family

The surname Lasonbay was first found in Yorkshire at Lazenby (Lazonby), which dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Lesingebi 1 and was in "the land of the King in Yorkshire." Lazonby is a parish, in the union of Penrith in Cumberland on the west bank of the river Eden. A Roman road passes from north to south, and another intersects the parish in a direction towards Salkeld Gate. At Castle Rigg are the ruins of a moated building. There are also several cairns in the area. 2

Early History of the Lasonbay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lasonbay research. Another 58 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1632 and 1701 are included under the topic Early Lasonbay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lasonbay Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Lasonbay family name include Lazenby, Lazinby, Lasynbi, Laysynby, Lasinby and many more.

Early Notables of the Lasonbay family

More information is included under the topic Early Lasonbay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Lasonbay family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Lasonbay surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Thomas Lazenby, who arrived in Virginia in 1672; William Lazinby who arrived in Maryland in 1744; William Lazenby, a bonded passenger who came to America in 1772.



  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.


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