Every Saturday I will publish a brief comment about a different surname. For the first of this regular feature, I will start close to home with my own middle name.The name Kingsbury is an English name which reflects English's Germanic roots. My own ancestors and those of most American Kingsburys settled in New England during the Great Migration. Like many other surnames it was originally a place name. The second part of the name bury reflects the old English word burh meaning "an enclosed or fortified place". The name Kingsbury would then mean "the fortified place of the King". The ending bury is also found in many English place names, such as Canterbury and Salisbury and as a result surnames. Related endings are also found in other Germanic languages, such as burg in German (Hamburg) or borg in Scandinavian languages (Göteborg).
Do you descend from Henry Kingsbury of Haverhill, Massachusetts? His son Joseph married Love Ayer in 1679. I'm a descendant of the Ayers and Websters.
ReplyDeleteI am a descendant of Henry Kingsbury and also Joseph and his wife Love Ayer. It looks like we are probably distant cousins.
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