Baumber

This is an English locational surname from a place called Bamber Bridge. The placename is recorded as "Bymbrig" in the History of the Counties of England for circa 1100, and derives from the pre 7th century personal name "Bimme", and "brycg", bridge; hence, "Bimme's bridge". This personal name is also recorded as in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1246, but the meaning is not known. Locational names are generally "from" names. During the Middle Ages, when migration for the purpose of job-seeking was becoming more common, people often took their former village name as a means of identification, thus resulting in a wide dispersal of the name. In the modern idiom the surname can be found as Bambor, Bambar, Bambro, Bamber, Baumber and probably others. The surname in its various forms seems to be particularly associated with the county of Lancashire. A coat of arms granted to the family depicts two red chevrons between four black fleurs-de-lis on a silver shield, the crest being a red bulls head erased, attired gold. The Motto, "Fortis et egregius", translates as, "Bold and excellent". An early recording of the family name in the surviving church registers of Lancashire is that of John Bamber. This was dated November 28th 1564, when he married Joan Dobson, at Kirkham in Lancashire, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1st, known as "Good Queen Bess", 1558 - 1603. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was sometimes known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.