About us
Our project began to determine the genetic relatedness of various Hamby and Hanby families and variant spellings. Both Hamby and Hanby are locative in origin. According to most sources, the Hamby family took their name from a manor in Lincolnshire, England next to Welton-le-Marsh. The surnames Hamby and Hanby are found throughout northwestern Europe from Ireland to Sweden. Both Hamby and Hanby are etymologically Scandinavian in origin. Like many Germanic names, it contains two elements, Ham/n and by. The first element was originally a personal name, Hundi. The second means, as it still does in Danish and Norwegian, a farm or village (-by). So Hundiby meant something like Hundi's farm or village. There are place names in Scandinavia and France bearing the same locational name. There are at least three such places in Lincolnshire alone, which was part of the Danelaw- Hamby next to Welton-le-Marsh, Hanby in Lavington and Humby.
The first well recorded Hamby was Walter de Hamby, who lived from approximately 1115-1160 and was probably the same person as Walter fitz Roger recorded in 1115-1118. The 12th century name was variously spelled Hambia, Hunbia, Humbia and Hambi in Latin documents from the period. Walter fitz Roger's Domesday predecessor as lord of Hamby in England was a man named Wimund, though the precise relation between Walter and Wimund or Wimund and Roger is currently unknown. The name Wimund was found in both England and Normandy at the time of the conquest. It is Nordic in origin and is a form of the Old Norse name Vemundr. There are also Hanbys in Ireland and Sweden, but so far we have none who are tested. There is also a Hambye family in northern France and Belgium who are probably linked to the place name in Normandy. We welcome and seek all Hanbys and Hambys to join us and learn about our shared heritage. For a general overview on the Lincolnshire Hambys/Hanbys, see Reginald Dudding's "History of the Parish and Manors of Alford with Rigsby and Ailby with Some Account of Well in the County of Lincoln." See also Volume Two of William Farrer's "Honours and Knights Fees."
The first well recorded Hamby was Walter de Hamby, who lived from approximately 1115-1160 and was probably the same person as Walter fitz Roger recorded in 1115-1118. The 12th century name was variously spelled Hambia, Hunbia, Humbia and Hambi in Latin documents from the period. Walter fitz Roger's Domesday predecessor as lord of Hamby in England was a man named Wimund, though the precise relation between Walter and Wimund or Wimund and Roger is currently unknown. The name Wimund was found in both England and Normandy at the time of the conquest. It is Nordic in origin and is a form of the Old Norse name Vemundr. There are also Hanbys in Ireland and Sweden, but so far we have none who are tested. There is also a Hambye family in northern France and Belgium who are probably linked to the place name in Normandy. We welcome and seek all Hanbys and Hambys to join us and learn about our shared heritage. For a general overview on the Lincolnshire Hambys/Hanbys, see Reginald Dudding's "History of the Parish and Manors of Alford with Rigsby and Ailby with Some Account of Well in the County of Lincoln." See also Volume Two of William Farrer's "Honours and Knights Fees."