Contents [hide]

Emmett History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Emmett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Emmett has a rich and ancient history. It is an Anglo-Saxon name that was originally derived from the given name Emma. The surname Emmett is one of the few names in England that derived their name from a female first name. In this case bearers of the surname were referred to as the son of Emma. 1 This surname also has origins in the place-name Emmett (Emmott), which was in Lancashire.

Early Origins of the Emmett family

The surname Emmett was first found in Lancashire near the village of Laneshawbridge, Colne.

Emmott Hall was a country house located there and possibly dates back to the 14th century. It is thought the family lived there possibly as early as the Norman Conquest. We do know that Christopher Emmott (died 1745), a successful London cloth merchant modernised the existing house in 1737 to give it a Georgian appearance and made several extensions. Upon his death, his nephew changed his name to Emmott in order to inherit the estate. In 1939, the hall was used as military barracks but was later left empty and had to be demolished in 1967.

Frequently seen in early records as a personal name, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Emmote Kneyt, Buckinghamshire; and Emmete de Fur, Cambridgeshire. 1

One source goes back further claiming that the family was Norman in origin from Amiot or North Amiota of Normandy, 1195. The Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae also lists Robert and Roger Amiot 1198. 2

Early History of the Emmett family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Emmett research. Another 152 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1379 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Emmett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Emmett Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Emmett include Emmett, Emmet, Emott, Emmitt, Emetts and others.

Early Notables of the Emmett family

Notables of the family at this time include

Adam Emmett of Lancashire

Emmett Ranking

In the United States, the name Emmett is the 8,836^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Emmett family to Ireland

Some of the Emmett family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Emmett migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Emmett Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Emmett who landed in Virginia in 1654
Joane Emmett, who arrived in Virginia in 1657 4
Samll Emmett, who landed in Virginia in 1665 4

Emmett Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Emmett, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1848 4
C L Emmett, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 4
H L H Emmett, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1855 4

Emmett Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. Edward Emmett, (b. 1881), aged 19, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "St Paul" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 31st August 1900 en route to Red Jacket, Michigan, USA 5
Mr. George Wesley Emmett, (b. 1872), aged 31, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "Etruria" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 11th July 1903 en route to Butte, Montana, USA 5
Mr. Edward Emmett, (b. 1882), aged 22, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "Philadelphia" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 10th July 1904 en route to Bisbee, Arizona, USA 5
Mr. Samuel Emmett, (b. 1878), aged 27, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 9th April 1905 en route to Globe, Arizona, USA 5

Emmett migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Emmett Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Stephen Emmett U.E., "Emmet" who settled in Home District [York County], Ontario c. 1784 6

Emmett migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Emmett Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Emmett, (b. 1804), aged 30, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 14 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 27th September 1834, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
Edward Emmett, English convict from York, who was transported aboard the "Anson" on September 23, 1843, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 8
William Emmett (aged 35), a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Eliza"

Emmett migration to New Zealand +

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:

Emmett Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Watson Emmett, aged 21, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oliver Lang" in 1856
Mr. William Emmett, (b. 1852), aged 22, Cornish labourer departing on 10th June 1874 aboard the ship "Cathcart" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 29th August 1874 9
Mr. Charles Emmett, (b. 1854), aged 21, Cornish gardener departing on 7th September 1875 aboard the ship "Waitangi" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 7th December 1875 9
Ms. Elizabeth Emmett, (b. 1851), aged 24, Cornish settler departing on 7th September 1875 aboard the ship "Waitangi" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 7th December 1875 9
Mary Emmett, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Wanganui" in 1882
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Emmett migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 10

Emmett Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Josias Emmett and his family purchased land in Barbados in 1663

Contemporary Notables of the name Emmett (post 1700) +

Daniel Decatur "Dan" Emmett (1815-1904), American songwriter, entertainer, and founder of the first troupe of the blackface minstrel tradition
Andre Emmett (b. 1982), American professional basketball player
Fern Emmett (1896-1946), American film actress
Paul Hugh Emmett (1900-1985), American chemical engineer
Harold Emmett, Under Secretary of State
Geraldine Emmett, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Arizona, 2000 11
Edward M. Emmett, American Republican politician, Member, Interstate Commerce Commission, 1989-92 11
Ed Emmett, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Texas, 1988 11
Dolly Emmett, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Arizona, 2004 11
Clara Emmett, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Arizona, 1956 11
... (Another 17 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Emmett family +

Air New Zealand Flight 901

Mr. John Barnham Emmett (d. 1979), New Zealander passenger, from Te Awamutu, North Island, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; he died in the crash 12
Ms. Cecilia Campbell Emmett (1917-1979), New Zealander passenger, from Te Awamutu, North Island, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; she died in the crash 12

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Anson voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1843 with 499 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/anson/1843
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Lyttelton 1858-84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Mount Erebus, Memorial, Roll of Remembrance (Retrieved 2018, February 21st). Retrieved from http://www.erebus.co.nz/memorialandawards/rollofremembrance.aspx