Cambridge Family Crest, Coat of Arms and Name History

Cambridge Origin:

England

Origins of Cambridge:

This popular geographical surname was uncommonly originally listed in its original place of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire. It was common to call an unknown person by the name of the place from whence they arrived, that is if they were not already so-called by the value of their holding either the rank of ‘King of the Castle’, or possibly a holy post. There are many surnames which acquire from the two Cambridges, and these probably were Cammidge, Gammage, and Cammage following idiom and dialect. In Roman times the then reinforced town of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire was called ‘Granchester ‘The fort on the Granta river,’ and is so listed by the Grand Bede in the year 730 a.d. The Agreement of the borough of Cambridge in 1125 was spelled as ‘Cantebruge, ‘ and when Chaucer was established a hundred years later it had advanced into ‘Cambrugge.’ As late as 1400 the county was called ‘Cambruggeshire.’ The Gloucester Hamlet is first listed as ‘Cambrigga’ in the year 1200 and looks to have quickly created surnames. First examples from both places contain Richard de Cambrige in the pipe rolls of Stafford for the year 1182, while Alan de Cambrigge also of Stafford, noted in the Assize Rolls of 1227, and Stephen de Caumbrigge listed in Cambridge (Cambridgeshire) in 1348. Next examples contain as Thomas Camage who buried at St James Church, Clerkenwell in 1607, and Abraham Cambridge who married Millicant Tidman at St Antholins parish, London, in 1729.

Variations:

More common variations are: Caimbridge, Campbridge, Camobridge, Camebridge, Cambrdge, Combridge, Gambridge, Cumbridge, Kambridge, Coombridge.

England:

The origins of the surname Cambridge appeared in Yorkshire where people held a family seat from early times. Someone say better before the invasion of Normans and the entrance of Duke William at Hastings 1066 A.D.

The very first recording spelling of the family was shown to be that of Picot de Grantebridge, dated about 1086, in the “Domesday Book of Cambridgeshire,” It was during the time of King William I, who was known to be the “The Conquerer,” dated 1066-1087. The origin of surnames during this period became a necessity with the introduction of personal taxation. It came to be known as Poll Tax in England.

Ireland:

Many of the people with surname Cambridge had moved to Ireland during the 17th century.

United States of America:

Individuals with the surname Cambridge landed in the United States in three different centuries respectively in the 17th, 18th, and 19th. Some of the people with the name Cambridge who arrived in the United States in the 17th century included Nicholas Cambridge settled in New England in 1664. Moll Cambridge who settled in Jamaica and Barbados in 1694.

People with the surname Cambridge who landed in the United States in the 18th century included Francis Cambridge, who landed in Virginia in 1711.

The following century saw more Cambridge surnames arrive. Some of the people with the surname Cambridge who arrived in the United States in the 19th century included Capt. Cambridge and Mr. Cambridge, both landed in San Francisco, California in the same year 1851.

Canada:

People with the surname Cambridge who settled in Canada in the 18th century included Mr. John Cambridge U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia in December 1783 was traveler no. 460 aboard the ship HMS Clinton”, selected up in November 1783 at East River, New York.

Australia:

Some of the individuals with the surname Cambridge who landed in Australia in the 19th century included Owen Cambridge arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship “Gipsy Queen” in 1850.

Here is the population distribution of the last name Cambridge: England 2,113; United States 2,017; Canada 448; Australia 447; Guyana 289; Trinidad and Tobago 279; South Africa 256; The Bahamas 244; New Zealand 163; Mexico 157.

Notable People:

Asuka Antonio “Aska” Cambridge is a Japanese track and field runner.

Blazons & Genealogy Notes

1) (London). Az. a cross pattee betw. four swans ar.
2) Ar. on a pile gu. betw. six crosses formee sa. a cross patonce of the field.
3) Az. a cross patonce betw. four ducks ar.
4) Sa. two bars humettee ar.
5) (quartered by Skelington, of Skelington, co. Leicester. Visit. Leicester, 1619). Sa. three garbs or.
6) Per pale ar. and sa. a, saltire engr. counterchanged. Crest—A lion pass. guard. ppr.
7) (Pickard-Cambridge). (Bloxworth House, co. Dorset). Motto—Esse quam videri. Quarterly, 1st and 4th, or, on a pile gu. betw. six trefoils slipped sa. a cross crosslet of the field, for Cambridge; 2nd and 3rd, gyronny of eight az. and ar. within a bordure erm. on a canton gu. a fleur-de-lis or, for Pickard. Crests —1st, Cambridge: A griffin’s head erased sa. semee of trefoils, in the mouth a cross botony fitchee, all or; 2nd, Pickard: A lion sejant ar. charged on the shoulder with an erm. spot, and gorged with a collar gemelles sa., supporting with the dexter fore paw an escutcheon gu. charged with a fleur-de-lis within a bordure or.
8) Per pale sa. and barry of six, ar. and of the first.