Pit History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The distinguished surname Pit emerged among the industrious people of Flanders, which was an important trading partner and political ally of Britain during the Middle Ages. As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Flemish surnames of this type frequently are prefixed by de la or de le, which mean of the or from the. The Pit family originally lived in the settlement of Pett in Kent, in the place named Pitt in Hampshire, or in any low-lying area resembling a pit or hollows. 1

The surname Pit is derived from the Old English words pytt, which means pit. Pit belongs to both the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads, or other places, and the class of topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees.

However, one source notes that the family could have been Norman in origin as the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae noted "Richard and Turstin Peet are mentioned 1198. "From the [coat of ] arms the well-known family of Pitt is the same as that of Pet or Pette of Kent and Sussex. " 2

Early Origins of the Pit family

The surname Pit was first found in Dorset at Blandford (Blandford Forum), a parish, in the union of Blandford, hundred of Coombs-Ditch. "The church [of Blandford], with the exception of the tower, was rebuilt in 1711, by Governor Pitt, ancestor of the Earl of Chatham and of Lord Camelford; it is in the Grecian style, and contains the remains of many of the Pitt family." 3 Thomas Pitt (1653-1726), the famed English merchant and progenitor of the American family of note was born here.

Early History of the Pit family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pit research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1557, 1559, 1560, 1606, 1614, 1616, 1624, 1625, 1627, 1634, 1636, 1639, 1643, 1653, 1654, 1655, 1658, 1660, 1672, 1679, 1680, 1686, 1694, 1697, 1713, 1726 and 1804 are included under the topic Early Pit History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pit Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Pitt, Pit and others.

Early Notables of the Pit family

Prominent in the family at this time was

John Pitts (1560-1616), an English Roman Catholic scholar and writer
Arthur Pits (1557-1634), and English Catholic priest from Iffley
John Pits or Pitseus (1560-1616), English Catholic divine and biographer from Alton, Hampshire
Sir William Pitt (1559-1636), an English courtier and politician, Member of Parliament for Wareham (1614-1625)
Edward Pitt (died 1643), an English landowner and politician, Member of Parliament for Poole in 1624
George Pitt (1625-1694), an English landowner and politician, Member of Parliament for Wareham (1660-1679)
Moses Pitt (c. 1639-1697) English bookseller and printer, best known for his production of his Atlas of the world, a project supported by the Royal Society, and Christopher Wren
Robert Pitt M.D. (1653-1713), an English physician

Pit Ranking

In France, the name Pit is the 7,787^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Pit family to Ireland

Some of the Pit family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pit migration to the United States +

Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Pit or a variant listed above:

Pit Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Roland Pit, who arrived in Virginia in 1717 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Pit (post 1700) +

Meine Pit (1931-2014), Dutch politician, served several times at a member of the Senate of the Netherlands, and States-Provincial of Gelderland between 1976 and 1999

The Pit 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: Per ardua liberi
Motto Translation: Free thro' difficulties.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
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)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)