SCARBOROUGH
Scarborough is a surname of English origin, rooted in the coastal town of the same name in North Yorkshire, England. The name is a locational identifier, originally given to those who had lived near or hailed from the town, and later used as a hereditary family name.
The place name Scarborough itself is believed to derive from the Old Norse words skarth meaning “rock” and borg meaning “fortress” or “castle.” Consequently, the surname originally signified a person associated with, or residing near, the rocky fortress that characterised the town’s medieval landscape.
Recorded spellings of the name vary: Scarborough, Scarbrow, Scarbarrow and the dialectal Scarboro. Early medieval records include individuals such as Henry de Scardeburgh of Lincoln in 1293, and Johannes de Scardeburgh in the Yorkshire poll-tax rolls of 1379. The Oxford Dictionary of English Place Names records that the settlement itself was named after a Viking figure, Skardi, in 965. The term Skardi is thought to mean “hair‑lipped,” a description that may reflect the appearance of Scarborough Bay.
During the Victorian era the town was celebrated as the “Queen‑of‑the‑Coast,” noted for the splendour of its architecture. The town suffered devastation in 1915 when German naval forces shelled it, destroying the medieval castle and leaving the community to survive in its aftermath. Those who left Scarborough during or after these events often carried the name westward, contributing to its diffusion beyond Northern England.
In the 11th century the first recorded spelling of the surname is associated with Thurold de Scardaborg. As with many locational surnames, it was bestowed upon individuals who had originated from or resided in that particular place, thereby making the geographical locality a convenient means of identification.
From the late 17th century onward, the surname appears in the Records of Greater London: Stephen Scarborough of St Antholins Church married Elizabeth Eaton in 1571, and Dennis Scarbarrow was christened at St Dionis Backchurch in 1646. These entries illustrate the spread of the name within England’s capital and surrounding areas.
Beyond Britain, the surname encountered wider diffusion through emigration. In the United States the name can be traced back to the colonial era, when settlers bearing the name arrived in the newly‑formed colonies. According to one source, it may derive from the Old English word scir, meaning “bright” or “shiny,” suggesting an attribute ascribed to its original bearers. In contemporary America the surname is most common in the Southern states of Tennessee, Alabama and Florida. It is also found, though less frequently, in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Jamaica and other countries connected historically to Britain.
In India the surname appears under the spelling Saraswat, indicating a different transcription convention. Other international variants of the name include Scarburgh in Norwegian contexts, Scarborow in Polish references, Scarbri in Irish records, Skarborow in Ukrainian usage, Escobar in Spanish, and Scarpa in Italian.
Variants that have fallen out of common usage include Scarbird, Scarburgh, Scarburghe, Scarbut and Scarfeld. Patronymic and matronymic forms of the name are also documented, such as Scarbroughson, Scarboroughson, Scarborougheson and Scarborowsen.
Presently, the surname remains fairly common in the Yorkshire region and has notable concentrations in English‑speaking countries that share a historical connection with Britain. The name’s persistence across centuries and continents underscores its strong locational origin and the enduring legacy of its medieval roots.
Typical given names associated with the Scarborough surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Richard
- Robert
Female
- Angela
- Charlotte
- Christine
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Jane
- Julie
- Karen
- Kathleen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Rachel
- Sarah
- Susan
- Tracy
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Scarborough in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 1,958 people named Scarborough in the UK. That makes it roughly the 4,280th most common surname in Britain. Around 30 in a million people in Britain are named Scarborough.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Scarborough
- Adrian Scarborough - Character actor
- Andrew Scarborough - Actor
- Mika Emilie Leonia Brzezinski Scarborough - American television host, author, and political commentator
- Ethel Scarborough - Pianist and composer (1880 to 1956)
- Jim Scarborough - Football player
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.