Cedar Surname History

Origins Available:
Ireland

Although Ireland already had an established system of hereditary surnames, the Strongbownians brought many of their own naming traditions to the island. There were, however, similarities between the two systems. The Strongbownians, like the Irish, frequently used patronymic surnames, a form of surname that was built from the name of the initial bearer's father, or another older relative. Norman patronymic names, because they were originally formed in French, were often created by the addition of a diminutive suffix to the given name, such as -ot, -et, -un, -in, or -el. Occasionally, two suffixes were combined to form a double diminutive, as in the combinations of -el-in, -el-ot, -in-ot, and -et-in. These Stronbownians also created patronymic names by the prefix Fitz-, which was derived from the French word fils, and ultimately from the Latin filius, which both mean son. This prefix probably originated in Flanders or Normandy, it has disappeared from France entirely but remains common in Ireland even today. The Strongbownian surname of Cedar is derived from the popular Norse personal name Oitir. The Gaelic forms of the surname Cedar are Mac Coitir and Mac Oitir.

Early Origins of the Cedar family

The surname Cedar was first found in Oxfordshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Cedar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cedar research. Another 168 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1273, 1630, 1689, 1705, 1720, 1754, 1763, 1831 and 1884 are included under the topic Early Cedar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cedar Spelling Variations

It was found during an investigation of the origins of the name Cedar that church officials and medieval scribes often spelled the name as it sounded. This practice lead to a single person's being documented under many spelling variations. The name Cedar has existed in the various shapes: Cotter, Cotters, Cottar, Cottare, Cotteres, Cottares, Coitter and many more.

Early Notables of the Cedar family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was Sir James Fitz Edmond Cotter (c.1630-1705) Irish soldier, colonial governor and the commander-in-chief of King James's forces, in the Irish Counties of Cork, Limerick, Tipperary and Kerry...
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cedar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cedar family

In the 1840s, Ireland experienced a mass exodus to North America due to the Great Potato Famine. These families wanted to escape from hunger and disease that was ravaging their homeland. With the promise of work, freedom and land overseas, the Irish looked upon British North America and the United States as a means of hope and prosperity. Those that survived the journey were able to achieve this through much hard work and perseverance. Early immigration and passenger lists revealed many bearing the name Cedar: James Cotter who settled in Bay De Verde, Newfoundland, in 1783; John Cotter settled in Boston in 1764 with his wife Elizabeth; Edward Cotter settled in New York, with his wife and four children in 1823.

Contemporary Notables of the name Cedar (post 1700) +

Howard Cedar (b. 1943), American biochemist, co-winner of the 2008 Wolf Prize in Medicine
Cedar Anthony Walton Jr. (1934-2013), American hard bop jazz pianist