Recorded in several forms including Brumbie, Brumby and Brumbye, this is an English post medieval locational surname. It originates from the village of Brumby, in the county of Linconshire, in the region of England known as 'East Anglia'. This was the area of England closest to Scandanavia, or at least it was the place that the incoming invaders and colonists (known later as 'The Vikings') of the 8th century a.d. found easiest to obtain a foothold. As a result many places in the region have names which contain the traditional Scandanavian word 'bi', meaning a farm or byre. This was later changed in medieval times to 'by', but the meaning and origin remained the same. 'Brumby' village is first recorded in the year 1086 in the famous Domesday Book and in the spelling of 'Brunnebi' This may imply 'the farm of a person called Brunni', but is more likely to refer to a farm where 'broom' was grown, this being one of the staple crops of the period, and in particular demand for thatching. The surname is apparently much later, than the village name, this is not unusual. Early examples of the surname recording taken from authentic surviving Lincolnshire church registers of the period include: Henrye Brumbye, the son of Thomas Brumbye, christened at Scotton, on March 24th 1568, Isabell Brumbie, who married Anthony Gibson at Middle Rasen, on May 2nd 1602, and Henery Brumby, (as spelt) the son of Henry Brumby, christened at Frodingham, on May 29th 1681.

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