BORROW
Borrow is a surname of English origin, first recorded in the early part of the fourteenth century and primarily associated with the British Isles.
The name derives from the Old English word būr, meaning a dwelling or house. It is considered a topographic or locational surname, originally applied to individuals who lived near a small house or cottage, and may later have been used as a nickname for someone closely associated with a particular dwelling or as an occupation for a house‑holder or innkeeper.
Variants of the name include Burrough, Burrow and Borrow with an -s. These forms reflect the natural spelling variation that occurred in early English records.
One theory holds that the name is tied to a hill or tumulus, from the Old English pre‑seventh‑century root beorg, cognate with the Old High German berg, meaning hill or mountain. An alternative derivation treats it as a locational name from places called Burrough or Borrow, such as Burrow Green in Cambridgeshire and Burrow on the Hill in Leicestershire, both named from the Old English element burgh, meaning a fort. In Somerset and Devon, records from 1065 name a place as Beorge, also stemming from beorg.
Key early attestations of the surname appear in the subsidy rolls and parish records of the early fourteenth century. For example, Thomas Burewe is recorded in Somerset in 1327, and John de Burhus appears in Sheffield records in 1440. The earliest documented spelling of the family name is John atte Boroghe, dated 1327, noted in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex during the reign of King Edward, who reigned from 1313 to 1377.
The name is associated with Christian practice, as is typical of English surnames of the period, and the first recorded marital marriages involving a Borrow are noted in the mid‑fifteenth century. On 18 July 1541 Thomas Borrow married Annes Marshal at St. Peter, Cornhill, and on 8 November 1542 William Borrow wedded Elizabeth Grymeslye at St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury.
Overall, the Borrow surname reflects a deep heritage tied to English place names and linguistic evolution, with a history that spans from the earliest medieval records to the modern day.
Typical given names associated with the Borrow surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- David
- Gary
- Ian
- James
- John
- Jonathan
- Michael
- Nicholas
- Oliver
- Peter
- Raymond
- Timothy
Female
- Angela
- Christine
- Florence
- Hazel
- Jacqueline
- Janet
- Kate
- Nicola
- Sarah
- Sharon
- Sheila
- Stephanie
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Barrow
- Barro
- Berro
- Barrows
- Berrow
- Bairro
- Barow
- Borro
- Baraw
- Barraw
- Barrou
- Barroway
- Barrowes
- Baruwa
- Barwa
- Berrows
- Birawi
- Birro
- Boaro
- Boro
- Boros
- Borow
- Borowa
- Borows
- Borowy
- Borr
- Borra
- Borre
- Borres
- Borrey
- Borri
- Borrie
- Borron
- Borrons
- Borros
- Borrough
- Borroughes
- Borroughs
- Borrowes
- Borrows
- Borruso
- Borry
- Bourre
- Bourreau
- Bourrough
- Bourroughs
- Bourrows
- Bowrow
- Braw
- Brew
- Brewe
- Briew
- Brow
- Browe
- Browie
- Buroughs
- Burow
- Burraw
- Burro
- Burroughs
- Burrous
- Burrow
- Burroway
- Burrowes
- Burrows
- Byrow
- Whybrew
- Whybrow
- Wybrew
- Wybrow
- Wybrowe
- Borerwe
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Borrow in...
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Morse
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There are approximately 361 people named Borrow in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around six in a million people in Britain are named Borrow.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Borrow
- David Borrow - Politician
- George Borrow - Author (1803 to 1881)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.