| ![Show Contents]() Birsty History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
England
Etymology of BirstyWhat does the name Birsty mean? The name Birsty literally means "the islet or eyot in the stream frequented by birds." 1 Another source has a similar etymology meaning "dweller at the Bird’s Island or Low Riparian Land." 2 Early Origins of the Birsty familyThe surname Birsty was first found in Sussex where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 13th century when they held estates in that county. Early History of the Birsty familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Birsty research. Another 147 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1076, 1084, 1135, 1196, 1406, 1510, 1562, 1600, 1652, 1665, 1675, 1687, 1753, 1886 and 1956 are included under the topic Early Birsty History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Birsty Spelling VariationsOnly recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Birsty has undergone many spelling variations, including Birsty, Bursty, Berstie, Bersty, Berstie, Birchensty, Burchensty, Berchensty, Birchenstey, Birchsty, Burchsty, Berchsty, Berdsey, Berdesly, Birdseye and many more. Early Notables of the Birsty familyAnother 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Birsty Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Birsty familyTo escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Birsty were among those contributors: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
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