Bristow Family History

English:: habitational name from the city of Bristol named in Old English with brycg ‘bridge’ + stōw ‘assembly place’. Bristow was the usual spoken form until at least the 17th century but from the 12th century clerks had frequently spelled the name Bristol(lia) using an inverted Anglo-Norman French spelling of -ol- for -ou-. The written form Bristol gradually replaced Bristow as the usual pronunciation.

Habitational name from Burstow or Bristow Farm in Frimley (both in Surrey) both meaning ‘the fortified place’ from Old English burh ‘fortified (place)’ + stōw ‘assembly place’.