Show ContentsHattan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Hattan is one of the many new names that came to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Hattan family lived in Hatton, Cheshire. Another derivation of the name suggests that it comes from the Germanic personal name Hatto, which is composed of the element hadu, which means strife or contention. 1 Although both are valid, time has confused the two definitions and historians now disagree on which is valid in any individual case.

Early Origins of the Hattan family

The surname Hattan was first found in Cheshire where this "noble family were descended from Sir Adam Hatton, of Hatton, county Cheshire, grandson of Wulfrid, brother of Nigel, who was lord of Halton in the same county, by gift of Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester, soon after the Conquest." 2

Early History of the Hattan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hattan research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1540, 1546, 1555, 1583, 1591, 1605, 1621, 1622, 1624, 1625, 1628, 1629, 1632, 1640, 1658, 1670, 1674, 1682, 1701, 1706, 1783 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Hattan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hattan Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Hatton, Hattons, Hattyn, Hattins, Hattans and others.

Early Notables of the Hattan family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Christopher Hatton KG (1540-1591), an English politician, Lord Chancellor of England and a favourite of Elizabeth I of England. "He was the second son of William Hatton of Holdenby, Northamptonshire, who died in 1546. The family was old, and claimed, though on doubtful evidence, to be of Norman lineage. Hatton was entered at St. Mary Hall, Oxford, probably about 1555, as a gentleman-commoner." 3Sir Thomas Hatton, 1st Baronet (c.1583-1658), was an English politician, Member of Parliament for Corfe...
Another 86 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hattan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Hattan family to Ireland

Some of the Hattan family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Australia Hattan migration to Australia +

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

Hattan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Edward Hattan, aged 26, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Lord Raglan" 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Hattan (post 1700) +

  • Susan Hattan, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kansas, 1972 5


The Hattan Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Nil conscire sibi
Motto Translation: To have a conscience free from guilt.


  1. Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  4. South Australian Register Wednesday 25th October 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Lord Raglan 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/lordraglan1854.shtml
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 5) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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