Pettway History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The rich and ancient history of the Pettway family name dates back to the time of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It comes from person who was referred to as Peat. The surname Pettway was originally derived from the Old English name "Peter." 1 2 Alternatively, the name could have been a nickname for a "delicate person, a pampered pet." 3 Another source presumes the name could have been "short for Peatman, a cutter of Peat." 4 And finally, one source believes the name could have been Norman in origin as the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae lists Rickard and Tustin Peet in Normandy 1198. 5

Early Origins of the Pettway family

The surname Pettway was first found in Winchester where Ralph Peet was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of 1210-1211. Later in Worcestershire, we found Richard Peet in the Subsidy Rolls for 1327. 6

In Somerset, Richard de Peyt was recorded there 1 Edward III (in the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 7 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 includes an entry for John Pitte c. 1272. 5

Early History of the Pettway family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pettway research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1485, 1513, 1563, 1570, 1589, 1593, 1610, 1630, 1647, 1652, 1672 and 1699 are included under the topic Early Pettway History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pettway Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Pettway have been found, including Peat, Peate, Peart, Pert, Pett and others.

Early Notables of the Pettway family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Peter Pett, (fl 1563), master-shipwright at Deptford. He was great-grandson of Thomas Pett of Skipton in Cumberland. "But Skipton is in Yorkshire, and, though some of his kin may have settled in the north, it is more probable that he belonged to the family of the name which early in the fifteenth century owned property at Pett in the parish of Stockbury in Kent. " 8 He was progenitor of the...
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pettway Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pettway Ranking

In the United States, the name Pettway is the 4,682^nd most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 9

Migration of the Pettway family

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Among the first immigrants of the name Pettway, or a variant listed above to cross the Atlantic and come to North America were : Joe and John Peat settled in Boston in 1635; Richard Peat settled in Virginia in 1754; Edward, and George Peat arrived in Philadelphia in 1878; Thomas Peart settled in Virginia in 1752.

Contemporary Notables of the name Pettway (post 1700) +

Missouri Pettway (1902-1981), American artist associated with the Gee's Bend quilting collective
Arlonzia Pettway (1923-2008), American artist associated with the Gee's Bend group of quilters
Annie E. Pettway (1904-1972), American artist associated with the Gee's Bend quilting collective
Annie Bell Pettway (1930-2003), American artist associated with the Gee's Bend quilting collective, along with her daughter Belinda Pettway
Jerry Pettway (b. 1944), former American basketball player
Jessie T. Pettway (1929-2023), American artist associated with the Gee's Bend group of quilters
Vincent Pettway (b. 1965), American professional boxer in the welterweight and super welterweight division
Kenneth Aaron Pettway (b. 1982), American football defensive end for the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL

The Pettway 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: Ardens
Motto Translation: Fervent.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
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)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/