Surname Borries - Meaning and Origin
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Borries: What does the surname Borries mean?
The surname Borries is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word 'Borjan', meaning 'borrowing; pledge; debt; credit; loan'. This suggests that the original bearer of the name was likely a creditor or moneylender. The name Borries likely began to be used in Germany as a surname during the late medieval period.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the records and documents from the Rhineland in the 15th and 16th centuries. It is likely that the Borries family emerged as an extended family of moneylenders in the region, involved primarily in banking, brokering and other related financial activities.
The Borries surname has also become popular in other parts of the world due to German migration and immigration. As a result, the name is commonly found in parts of the United States, Canada, Australia and other countries with a significant German population.
The Borries name is a potent symbol of the rich banking history of Germany. For many generations, the Borries family has been associated with financial entrepreneurship and expertise, and continues to remain a prominent name among many German families.
Order DNA origin analysisBorries: Where does the name Borries come from?
The last name Borries is quite common in Germany today. A surname originating from Saxony, Germany, evidence of Borries in the area dates back to the Middle Ages. The family name is believed to have been derived from the old German boy's name "Borr", which was a common name in pre-Christian Saxony.
The Borries family is believed to have been of the nobiliary family of Borussia. They were once distinguished for their noble reputation and expansive holdings throughout the area. Today, Borries is still quite common in Saxony, where many families proudly carry on the Borries name and its long-standing history.
The Borries moniker is also quite common throughout various other parts of Germany, including Bavaria, Baden-Wurttemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Hesse. Many Borries families can also be found in other parts of Europe, North America, South America, Australia, and Southeast Asia.
Variations of the surname Borries
The most common variant of the surname Borries is Bories, though Borie, Boeries, Borges, and Bouriez are also possibilities. Bories is a variant spelling of the French surname of Bourriez, which derives from the old French term borger (to borrow). The French bourger was derived from the old Gallo-Roman personal name Burgirius. The origin also likely has German and Low Franconian roots, and Bories appears in Germany and in the historical province of Flanders.
Bories has been recorded in many spellings including Boriez, Borie, Boerie, Borries, Borriez, Bourries, Borges, Bouriez, Bories, Borrée, Borres, Boureez, Borrey, Barres, and Burres. It is likely that Borries and Bourries both derive from Bories, though historically the second form of the spellings could also be derived from Bourges, a city in France. The name has also been found in records of England and Belgium, especially in Flanders and Brabant.
The surname Borries is often found in similar spellings with regional variations depending on the place of origin. In Germany, it is most commonly found as Bories or Borries.
The surname Borries has also often been Anglicised to Barry, Barries, Berry and Burry. Records of the surname have been found in Flanders, France, Germany and England, though most of the records involve the Dutch and Flemish spelling variations such as Borriez, Bouriez and Bories.
Famous people with the name Borries
- Julius Borries: German nobleman and landscape architect famous for introducing the English landscape garden to continental Europe
- Georg-Henning von Borries: general of the Imperial German Army's inspectors of motorised troops
- Konstantin Freiherr von Borries: general in the Prussian army in the late 19th century
- Karl Freiherr von Borries: Prussian politician, statesman and diplomat
- Wilhelm Borries: German footballer and referee of the early 20th century
- Roger Borries: American athlete and Olympian who competed in the 1948 games
- Gerhard Borries: German politician who served as a minister in the Rhineland-Palatinate
- Rudolf Borries: German music theorist and composer of the 20th century
- Berthold von Borries: artist and author of the 19th century
- Uwe Borries: German singer of the 1970s