Show ContentsWistbrox History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Wistbrox is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in one of the places called Westbrook in Kent, Berkshire, or on the Isle of Wight. The surname Wistbrox belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Wistbrox family

The surname Wistbrox was first found in Kent where one of the first records of the name was Reginald de Westbroc who in 1255 was listed in that county's Feet of Fines. A few years later, John de Westbroke was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327. Over one hundred years later, Edmind Westbrook was listed in the Feet of Fines of Essex in 1440. 1 Another reference lists Richards de Westbrek in Surrey during the reign of Edward I 2. They were Lords of the manor of Elsted for many years.

Early History of the Wistbrox family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wistbrox research. Another 70 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1616, 1659, 1660, 1666, 1675 and 1743 are included under the topic Early Wistbrox History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wistbrox 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 Wistbrox family name include Westbrooke, Westbrook, Westbrock, Westbrocke and others.

Early Notables of the Wistbrox family

Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wistbrox Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wistbrox 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 Wistbrox surname or a spelling variation of the name include: John Westbrook who settled in West New Jersey in 1664; William Westbrook landed in America in 1772; William T. Westbrook settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1859.



  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)


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