Recorded in several spellings including Mickelborough, Mickleborough, and Mickleburgh, this is an English surname. It is obviously locational, and is believed to originate either from the village of Micklebring in the former West Riding of Yorkshire recorded as Micklebrinc in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1206, or from some now "lost" medieval site. In either case the derivation would seem to be from the pre 7th century Olde English word "micel" meaning large and "burgh", which may mean a hill, but more likely was a fortified place upon a hill. This is also is the meaning of Mickelbrinc. "Lost" places are a feature of the countryside of the British Isles, and it is estimated that as many as five thousand such places have disappeared from the maps and gazetters of the past seven centuries. Many have left a surname behind, and being locational are these are "from" names. That is to say names which were usually given to people after they left their original homes to move somewhere else. Spelling over the centuries being at best erratic, and local dialects very thick, often lead to the development of "sounds like" spellings. In this case examples taken from the surviving registers of the diocese of Greater London include: Ann Mickelborough who married Theophilus Magan at St Ann's Soho, on September 1st 1651, Edward Mickleburgh who was a witness at St Martins in the Field, Westminster, on February 14th 1744, and William Mickleborough, who was christened at Christ Church, Spitalfields, on Agust 9th 1818.

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