This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'de Umframville,' evidently of Norman descent.

Gilbert de Umfraunville, Northumberland, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

John de Unifravile, Devon, ibid.

Ingram de Umframville, Northumberland, 20 Edward I: Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III.

Gilbert de Umframville, Northumberland, ibid.

I find only one representative of this great old name in the London Directory.

Samuel Umfrevill, boot and shoe maker.

UMFRAVILLE, Umphraville: From Umfreville in the canton of St. Mère Église, arrondissement of Valognes, department of Manche. For an account of the family see Hodgson, History of Northumberland, v. I, part 2. The first of the name recorded in Scotland is Robertus de Umframville who witnessed the charter by Earl David founding the church of Selkirk (afterwards removed to Kelso), c. 1120 (Kelso, 1). He also appears as witness to numerous charters by King David and others in the chartularies of Kelso, Melrose Glasgow, Dunfermline, etc. His son, Gilbert de Umframville witnessed the charter to the church of Glasgow (REG., p. 267). He also witnessed King David's gift of a toft in Berwike to the Priory of May between 1147 and 1153 (May, 2), and Prince Henry's charter of Swinton to the church of Durham (Nat. MSS., I, p. 13). A Gilbert de Umfraville granted to the Abbey of Cambuskenneth two carucates of land in the manor of Dunipace (Cambus., 85). (The Umphravilles held the superiority of Dunipace until their forfeiture in the reign of Bruce.) An Odenell de Umframvilla appears between 1147 and 1153 as witness in King David's grant of right of forest to Robert de Brus (Nat, MS S., X, p. 12) and to his charter of Annandale to the same. c. 1153 (ibid., p. 20), etc. What relation he was to the other Umphravilles is uncertain. About 1220 Richard ce Umfraville confirmed a grant decima pullanorum to the Abbey of Kelso (Kelso, 327,328) and about 1228 Gilbert de Vmfraville confirmed a donation of his grandfather Odenell to Kelso (ibid., 325). Gilbert married Matildis, countess of Angus in 1243 (Chron. Melt., s. a.) and in her right became earl of Angus. He died in 1245, leaving a son also nan. i Gilbert. This last Gilbert, the only one of the Scottish nobility who acted with integrity and spirit in the negotiations with England in 1291, died without issue in 1302. By their adherence to the Baliols and to the English interests during the War of Independence the Umphravilles forfeited their lands in Scotland and were obliged to retire to England. "The last of the De Umphravilles, formerly Lords of Warkworth, died in a small cottage in the hamlet of Aberwic, not far from Alnwick," a pensioner of the Duke of Northumberland (Maidment, in Carrick, p. 17), and one of the last of this great Norman family was William Umfraville, keeper of St. Nicholas's Workhouse, Newcastle, who died in indigent circumstances in 1789 (Chambers, Peeblesshire, p. 73). Angus Umphraville, an American poet of Scots parentage, published a volume of his pieces in Baltimore, 1817.

UMFRAVILLE: The founder of this noble family in England was Robert de Umfraville, otherwise called "Robert with the Beard," lord of Tour and Vian. He is named in Leland's so-called Roll of Battel Abbey.