Show ContentsScribant History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Scribant is a name that was brought to England by the ancestors of the Scribant family when they migrated with the great wave that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. Scribant is a name for a writer to the court. This name comes from the Old French word scriven, which was the title of the person employed to keep official records of trials.

Early Origins of the Scribant family

The surname Scribant was first found in Scriven, a village and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire. The township comprises about 1598 acres, and includes the villages of Scriven and Tentergate, which latter forms part of the town of Knaresborough. The place name was derived from The Domesday Book 1 entry Scrauing(h) which in turn was derived from the Old English expression "Hollow place with pits" 2

Early History of the Scribant family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Scribant research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1580, 1608, 1609, 1629, 1660, 1688 and 1713 are included under the topic Early Scribant History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Scribant Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Scribant were recorded, including Scriven, Scrivener, Scrivenor, Scrivner and others.

Early Notables of the Scribant family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Matthew Scrivener (1580-1609), an English colonist in Virginia, Colonial Governor of Virginia (1608-1609.) Born in Suffolk, England, he drowned at the age of 28 with eight other colonists, while attempting to cross to nearby Hog Island in a storm in 1609. His brother John Scrivener...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Scribant Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Scribant family to Ireland

Some of the Scribant family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Scribant family

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Scribant arrived in North America very early: Arthur Scriven settled in Virginia in 1663; John Scriven settled in Barbados in 1665; Nathanial Scriven settled in Nevis in 1663; Robert Scriven settled in Virginia in 1635.



  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)


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