Show ContentsLeyburn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Leyburn first arose amongst the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from their having lived in the village of Leybourne. Leyburn is a habitation name from the broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties.

Early Origins of the Leyburn family

The surname Leyburn was first found in Kent at Leybourne, a parish, in the union of Malling, hundred of Larkfield, lathe of Aylesford. "There are considerable remains of a castle, consisting of a gateway flanked by circular towers, various arches, walls, &c., and traces of the moat by which it was surrounded; part of the ruin has long been converted into a dwelling-house." 1 A later branch of the family was found at Ashton with Stodday in Lancashire. "Ashton Hall, once the seat of the knightly family of Leyburne, and now the property of the Duke of Hamilton, is a quadrangular edifice, with a projecting wing to the east, and a square tower with angular turrets on the west; it was probably erected in the fourteenth century." 1

Early History of the Leyburn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Leyburn research. Another 266 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1192, 1299, 1488, 1593, 1600, 1615, 1626, 1677, 1685, 1688, 1702, 1716 and 1770 are included under the topic Early Leyburn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Leyburn Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Leyburn has appeared include Labern, Labourne, Laborn, Labron, Laburn, Layburn, Layborn, Layborne, Laybourn, Laybourne, Leiburn, Leybourne, Leyborne, Leyburn, Leyburne and many more.

Early Notables of the Leyburn family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • George Leyburn (1593-1677), an English Catholic priest, President of the English College
  • John Leyburn (1615-1702), an English Roman Catholic bishop, Vicar Apostolic of England from 1685 to 1688

Migration of the Leyburn family to Ireland

Some of the Leyburn family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Leyburn migration to Australia +

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

Leyburn Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Frederick Leyburn, British convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bussorah Merchant" on 1st October 1829, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Leyburn (post 1700) +

  • James G Leyburn, American leading historian of Scotch-Irish immigration to the United States


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bussorah-merchant


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