This interesting and unusual name, with variant spellings Scrooby, Scrowby, Skruby etc., is of English locational origin from a place in Nottinghamshire called Scrooby. Recorded initially as Scroppen Thorp in "Early Yorkshire Charters", dated 958, as Scrobi in the Domesday Book of 1086 and as Scruby in the 1242, Fine Court of Nottinghamshire, the place was so called from the Old Norse personal name Skroppa, plus the Old Scandinavian "thorp", a farm or new settlement. This latter element was later changed to "by", the Scandinavian for "homestead" or "village". On March 6th 1563, Edwardus, son of Reginoldi Scruby, was christened in Howden, Yorkshire. Henrye, son of Robert Scroobye, was christened in Stokesley, Yorkshire, on September 14th 1572, and in 1582, Ann Scruby, an infant, was christened there also. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard de Scrobby, which was dated 1273, in "The Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire", during the reign of King Edward 1, known as "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 - 1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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