Show ContentsWitebey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Witebey reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Witebey family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Witebey family lived in Yorkshire, at Whitby. "This place was called by the Saxons Streanes-heale, which Bede interprets Sinus Phari, or "the bay of the lighthouse;" and in the Domesday Survey is styled Whitteby, or "the white town. It owes its origin to the foundation of a monastery here by Oswy, King of Northumbria, in fulfillment of a vow made prior to the battle of Winwidfield, in which he defeated and killed Penda, the pagan king of Mercia, who had invaded his territories in 655. " [1]

Early Origins of the Witebey family

The surname Witebey was first found in Yorkshire where they are believed to be descended from William de Percy, the most heroic of Norman nobles who held the lands of Whitby, in the East Riding of York, from 1066. He went to the first Crusade in 1096 and died at Mountjoy near Jerusalem.

Early rolls confirm Yorkshire as the first stronghold of the family as Tiece de Witebi was listed there in the Pipe Rolls of 1181. Later Thomas de Whiteby was listed in Yorkshire in 1295. [2]

Ricardus de Whiteby was listed as a Freeman of York 21-2 Edward I (during the 21st year of King Edward I's reign) and later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included Robertas de Whytby, smyth. [3]

As one might expect, with the close proximity to Scotland, early records include: Johannes de Whitebi, Nicholaus de Whitebi, Ranulphus de Whitebi, and Robert de Whitebi who all rendered homage at Berwick to King Edward I of England in 1291. Warin de Whiteby, burgess of Perth also rendered homage to the same king in 1296, and Henry de Wyteby held land in Waldeugate, Berwick, in 1307. [4]

Early History of the Witebey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Witebey research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1291, 1307, 1585, 1614, 1619, 1629, 1638, 1639, 1642, 1644, 1652, 1655 and 1726 are included under the topic Early Witebey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Witebey Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Whitby, Whiteby and others.

Early Notables of the Witebey family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Henry Whitby who held the lands in Berwick in 1307; Edward Whitby (died 1639), an English lawyer and politician, Member of Parliament for City of Chester (1614-1629); Daniel Whitby (1638-1726), a controversial English theologian and...
Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Witebey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Witebey family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Witebey name or one of its variants: Daniel Whitby settled in Virginia in 1623; along with Richard; Henry Whitby settled in Maryland in 1684; Kath Whitby settled in Virginia in 1654; James Whitby arrived in Philadelphia, Pa. in 1808.



The Witebey 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: Virtus vitium fugere
Motto Translation: It is virtue to shun vice


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)


Houseofnames.com on Facebook