Edinburgh

This surname of famous Scottish origins is locational. According to Black's dictionary known as 'The Surnames of Scotland', it was considered to be extinct by the end of the 19th century, and certainly the last recording in its 'home place' would seem to be that of John Edinburgh of Edinburgh on April 15th 1686. However it is clearly not extinct, since it has been recorded in the West Riding of Yorkshire, and specifically in the small area bordered by the villages of Denby Dale, Shepley and Shelley, since Victorian times. To add to the curiosity, the current spellings in Yorkshire are varied, and include Edinburgh itself, as well as several families called Edinboro, Edinborough and even an Edinburough. Locational surnames are usually 'from' names. That is to say names given to people after they left the place from which they have been named, to move somewhere else. This process often lead nationally or sometimes regionally, to varied spelling forms, but it is unusual to say the least, for a name from such a well known city, to develop varied spellings within such a small geographical area. This is particularly so as almost certainly, all nameholders descend from the same person or same original family. In the medieval period this surname wqas prominent in Scotland with Alexander de Edynburgh being a charter witness on behalf of the bishop of St Andrews in the year 1233, whilst Thomas de Edynburgh was a merchant freed from the Tower of London in 1396. Perhaps the Yorkshire family originate from this man.