Show ContentsYarbrough History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient roots of the Yarbrough family name are in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The name Yarbrough comes from when the family lived in either the parish or the hamlet called Yarborough in the county of Lincolnshire. The surname Yarbrough 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 Yarbrough family

The surname Yarbrough 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 Yarbrough family

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

Yarbrough Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Yarbrough has appeared include Yarburgh, Yarborough, Yearbugh, Yerburgh, Yearby and others.

Early Notables of the Yarbrough family

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

Yarbrough Ranking

In the United States, the name Yarbrough is the 1,034th most popular surname with an estimated 29,844 people with that name. 4


United States Yarbrough migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Yarbrough arrived in North America very early:

Yarbrough Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Richard Yarbrough, who landed in Virginia in 1714 5
Yarbrough Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Swanson Yarbrough who settled in Texas in 1832
Yarbrough Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • C. Yarbrough, aged 20, who settled in America, in 1903
  • Charley Yarbrough, aged 7, who immigrated to the United States from South Africa, in 1903
  • Kathleen Yarbrough, aged 35, who landed in America from South Africa, in 1903
  • Stanley Yarbrough, aged 9, who settled in America from South Africa, in 1903
  • Violet Isabelle Helen Yarbrough, who landed in America, in 1907
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Yarbrough migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Yarbrough Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • John Yarbrough who settled in Nova Scotia in 1749

Contemporary Notables of the name Yarbrough (post 1700) +

  • Karen Yarbrough (1950-2024), American politician, Cook County Clerk (2018-2024), the first woman and African American to hold the position
  • Vincent Raymond Yarbrough (b. 1981), American former professional NBA basketball player
  • Donald Burt Yarbrough (b. 1941), American jurist, justice of the Texas Supreme Court
  • Steven B. Yarbrough, American politician, President of the Arizona Senate (2017-), Member of the Arizona Senate (2011-), Member of the Arizona House of Representatives (2003-2011)
  • Jon Yarbrough, American billionaire, the founder of Video Gaming Technologies
  • Destanie Yarbrough, American professional martial artist, specializing in Jiu-Jitsu
  • Camille Yarbrough (b. 1938), American musician, actress, poet, activist, television producer, and author
  • Ryan Christian Yarbrough (b. 1991), American Major League Baseball pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays
  • Cavin Leon Yarbrough (b. 1954), American singer and songwriter, one half of the duo Yarbrough and Peoples, known for their biggest selling release was "Don't Stop the Music" (1981)
  • William Paul Yarbrough Story (b. 1989), Mexican-born American soccer player
  • ... (Another 11 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


The Yarbrough 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. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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