Show ContentsYarborough History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Yarborough

What does the name Yarborough mean?

The Anglo-Saxon name Yarborough comes from when the family resided in either the parish or the hamlet called Yarborough in the county of Lincolnshire. The surname Yarborough 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 Yarborough family

The surname Yarborough was first found in Lincolnshire at Yarbourgh or Yaburgh, in the hundred of Louth-Eske. The name was listed as Gereburg in the Domesday Book 1 and literally means "the earthwork, or the fortification built of earth" derived from the Old English word "eorth-burgh" 2 "The living [of Yarborough] is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £9. 13. 6.; net income, £226; patron, Nicholas Edmund Yarburgh, Esq., of Heslington Hall, near York, who is lord of the manor, and owner of half the parish." 3

Early History of the Yarborough family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Yarborough research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1066 is included under the topic Early Yarborough History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Yarborough Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Yarborough include Yarburgh, Yarborough, Yearbugh, Yerburgh, Yearby and others.

Early Notables of the Yarborough family

Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Yarborough Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Yarborough Ranking

In the United States, the name Yarborough is the 4,951st most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 4


Yarborough migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Yarborough Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • A. C. Yarborough, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Excelsior" in 1871 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Yarborough (post 1700) +

  • Cale Yarborough (1939-2023), born William Caleb Yarborough, an American NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver and owner, businessman, farmer, and rancher, one of only two drivers in NASCAR history to win three consecutive championships, winning in 1976, 1977, and 1978, inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (1994)
  • Emmanuel "Manny" Yarborough (1964-2015), American amateur sumo wrestler and mixed martial arts (MMA) competitor
  • Tom Yarborough (1895-1969), American politician, the first black mayor in California, Mayor of Lake Elsinore, California (1966-1969)
  • Lieutenant General William Pelham Yarborough (1912-2005), United States Army officer, nicknamed the "Father of the Modern Green Berets"
  • William Barton Yarborough (1900-1951), American actor who worked extensively in radio drama
  • George Hampton Yarborough Jr. (1895-1918), American officer in the United States Marine Corps and a recipient of the Navy Cross, eponym of the USS Yarborough (DD-314), a Clemson-class destroyer
  • Ralph Yarborough (1903-1996), American politician, United States Senator from Texas (1957-1971)
  • Glenn Yarborough (b. 1930), American actor
  • William Caleb "Cale" Yarborough (b. 1939), American former NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver and owner


The Yarborough 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: Non est sine pulvere palma
Motto Translation: The palm is not obtained without toil.


  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)
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 4th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


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