Thornsberry History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The present generation of the Thornsberry family is only the most recent to bear a name that dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name comes from having lived in Thornborough found in the counties of Buckinghamshire and North Yorkshire. Thornsberry is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. During the Middle Ages, as society became more complex, individuals needed a way to be distinguishable from others. Toponymic surnames were developed as a result of this need. Various features in the landscape or area were used to distinguish people from one another. In this case the surname was originally derived from the Old English thorn broc which means that the original bearers of the surname Thornsberry were named due to their close proximity to the stream by the thorns. 1

Early Origins of the Thornsberry family

The surname ThornsBerry was first found in Cumberland where they held a family seat at Selsheyd (now known as Selside.) This chapelry, in the parish, union, and ward of Kendal is now in the county of Westmorland. "The chapel, dedicated to St. Thomas, was erected in lieu of a more ancient edifice, about 1720, by the inhabitants, on a site given by William Thornburgh, Esq.; and was rebuilt on an enlarged scale in 1837, at an expense of about £600." 2

The first records of the family were found in nearby Yorkshire where Robert de Thorneberg was recorded in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1208 and Hugh de Thornburgh was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1327. 3 Later in Yorkshire, we found Ricardus de Thornbargh recorded in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 4

"The name of Thornber was represented by Thornbur in Gloucestershire in the 13th century. " 5

Early History of the Thornsberry family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Thornsberry research. Another 96 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1313, 1391, 1394, 1401, 1404, 1414, 1416, 1419, 1541, 1551, 1563, 1588, 1593, 1603, 1617 and 1641 are included under the topic Early Thornsberry History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Thornsberry Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Thornsberry include Thornborough, Thornbury, Thornberry, Thornborrowe, Thornbery, Thornburgh and many more.

Early Notables of the Thornsberry family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir John Thornbury; and Walter de Thornbury (died 1313), an English-born statesman and cleric probably born in Herefordshire who held the office of Lord Chancellor of Ireland. William Thornburgh was Member of Parliament for Westmorland in 1391, 1394, 1401 and 1414. Roland Thornburgh was Member of Parliament for Westmorland in 1401, 1404, 1416 and 1419. Edward Thornborough (born c.1563) was an English politician, Member...
Another 72 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Thornsberry Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Thornsberry Ranking

In the United States, the name Thornsberry is the 13,624^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6

ThornsBerry migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Thornsberry were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Thornsberry Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Justis Thornsberry, aged 21, who immigrated to America, in 1923

Contemporary Notables of the name ThornsBerry (post 1700) +

Jeffry Thornsberry, American researcher and professor at Northwest Missouri State University
Richard Thornsberry (b. 1980), American sound mixer from San Francisco, known for his work on Abominable (2006), The Ceremony (2008) and The Beat (2003)
Eric Thornsberry, American actor, known for The Absence of Light (2006)
David Thornsberry, American location manager, known for his work on The Maze Runner (2014), Trumbo (2015) and The Kingdom (2007)

The Thornsberry Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Spectemur agendo
Motto Translation: Let us be judged by our acts

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/