This very unusual name is a variant form of the original 18th Century settler surname "Argebrecht". The name is also found in other forms such as Argabright, Argenbright, Argerbright, and Argenbright, but all would seem to derive from the original nameholder as shown below. The name is locational and describes one who lived by a silver stream, "argen", silver and "brecht", a stream, although perhaps surprisingly we have not been able to identify either a place or a recording of the name in the original German homeland. Nevertheless, this is an original early settler name, pre-dating American Independence and dating from the Hanoverian period of the British Empire, when the state of Hanover was part of Britain. People from Hanover were encouraged by the British to emigrate to the American Colonies, because they were renowned for their hard work ethics, honesty, and Protestant beliefs. They were also good soldiers and were often granted lands following service in the British Army. Name recordings include: Mary Argebrite, who married George Bucher, at Harrison, Virginia, on February 7th 1799, and James Argabrite, who married Sarah Lewis at Greenbriar, Virginia, on February 9th 1861. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Jacob Argebrecht, which was dated February 14th 1763, witness at the christening of his son, Jacob, at Rockingham, Virginia, during the reign of King George 111 of England, known as "Farmer George", 1760 - 1820. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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