Catt History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe ancient Norman culture that was established in England after the Conquest of 1066 produced the name of Catt. It was given to a person who has a fancied resemblance to a cat. The name stems from the Old Northern French cat, of the same meaning, which occurs in many languages in the same form from a very early period. Early Origins of the Catt familyThe surname Catt was first found in Norfolk where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. Early History of the Catt familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Catt research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Catt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Catt Spelling VariationsMultitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Catt, Cat, Catts, Ketts, Chatt, Chat and others. Early Notables of the Catt familyMore information is included under the topic Early Catt Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Catt RankingIn the United States, the name Catt is the 11,731st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1
Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Catt or a variant listed above: Catt Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Catt Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Catt Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Catt Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include: Catt Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
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