This unusual and interestng name is a dialectual variant of Whybrow, itself from the Middle English female given name 'Wyburgh', spelt, in the Olde English pre 7th Century 'Wigburh', composed of the elements 'wig', war and 'burh', fortress. This name was recorded once in 901 and then not until the 12th Century. In view of the variety and frequency of the surnames it must have been more common than the records suggest. In the modern idiom the variants include, Wyber, Wyberg(h), W(h)ybrow, Wh(e)ybrew, Wiber(g). Two early recordings of the name in London are of one Marie Wybrow. Who was christened at St. Gregory by St. Paul, London on 16 December 1608 Charles Wybrow also christened at St. Lukes, Chelsea on 13th March 1763. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Roger Wybir, which was dated 1279, Hundred Rolls, Oxfordshire, during the reign of King Edward I, The Hammer of the Scots, 1272 - 1307. 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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