Scarborough
A locational surname from Scarborough in Yorkshire, named for the rocky hill and fortified town there.
The #2,925 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 25,200 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Scarborough comes from the place-name Scarborough in Yorkshire, England. Older explanations in the sources connect it with words for a sharp rock, cliff, or gap, joined to a term for a fortified place or town. In plain terms, the name likely meant something like “the fort by the rocky hill” or “castle on the crag.”
History
The surname is a classic English locational name, taken by people who came from Scarborough or were identified with it elsewhere. Historical spellings in the sources include Scarbrow, Scarboro, and Scarborow, reflecting the way place-names often varied before spelling was standardized. The name spread beyond Yorkshire as bearers moved to other parts of England and later overseas.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Scarborough is one of England’s best-known seaside towns, and its name has been linked for centuries to the dramatic cliffs and headlands around the harbor.
From the historical record
“SCARBORO 1 (Scand.) Bel. to Scar- SCARBOROUGH borough (Yorks), 13th and SCARBROW J 14th cent. Scard{e)burgh = the Castle at the Gap [0-N. skar^, a gap, cleft (applied as a nickname to one with a hare-lip) -t- borg, a stronghold] (Scand.) i a nickname from the”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)