Knightsbridge

This is a medieval English locational surname. It originates from Knightsbridge, the former ancient village in what is now part of West London, but in early times was a separate hamlet on the Great West Road between the city of London, and the place of the parliament, Westminster. Being a 'from' surname it is perhaps not surprising that most of the early recordings of 'Knightsbridge' as a surname, are only occasionally to be found in the church registers of London, and much more frequently in the county of Essex. At sometime in the Middle Ages, probably around the year 1485, a family or possibly two families, must have left Knightsbridge, and moved out into the country. There they established themselves at the Essex villages of Great Waltham and Great Burstead, and from about the year 1700 at the village of Doddington. From about 1800 the surname is well recorded in several parts of the county. 'Knightsbridge' is a developed form of the Olde English 'Cnihtebreige' first recorded in the year 1042, and later in the famous Domesday Book of 1086 commissioned by William, The Conqueror, 1066 - 1087. The village name and hence the surname translates as 'the causeway of the knights', however 'cniht' in the pre Norman days did not have the status meaning of a minor noble, but simply described a horseman. Early examples of the surname recordings include William Knyghtbredge of Great Burstead, Essex, on March 25th 1564, Thomas Knightsbridge of Great Waltham, Essex, on June 5th 1569, and James Knightesbridge, a witness at the famous church of St Giles Cripplegate, city of London, on October 8th 1593.