Carber History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England
• Scotland

Etymology of Carber

The history of the name Carber dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from a member of the family who worked as a wood-carver or sculptor. The former occupation was more common than the latter. Chaucer describes a wood-carver in the late 13th century "Knight's Tale", writing, "Ne purteyour, ne kerver of images."

The surname Carber is derived from the Old English word ceorfan, which means to cut or to carve. However, the surname Carber may also be derived from the occupation of a ploughman. In this case, the surname Carber is derived from the Old French words charuier and caruier, which both mean ploughman. 1

Early Origins of the Carber family

Early History of the Carber family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Carber research. Another 137 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1203, 1275, 1290, 1490, 1505, 1567, 1576, 1607, 1608, 1620, 1621, 1710 and 1780 are included under the topic Early Carber History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Carber Spelling Variations

Only 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 Carber has undergone many spelling variations, including Carver, Carvere, Carvar, Carever, Carber, Kerver and many more.

Early Notables of the Carber family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Robert Carver (1490-1567), Scottish Renaissance monk and composer of Christian sacred music.John Carver (c.1576-1621), was leader of the 'Pilgrim fathers,' an Englishman and agent of the English congregational church at Leyden in Holland. When he sailed in the Mayflower (1620) he was 'of good age,' father of several children, one daughter being aged 14. In his time the name of Carver, alias Calver, was common in the midland counties, and the best conjecture is that he...
Another 84 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Carber Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Carber family

To 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 Carber were among those contributors: Richard Carver, who had sailed from Yarmouth in England in 1637; and who had lived at Scratby, in Norfolk, in England. He settled in Watertown in Massachusetts. In all, at this period, there were three settlers, Richard, Edward and Robert. Robert settled at Marshfield, Massachusetts in 1638.