Stites History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The Stites surname is generally thought to derive from the Middle English word "stott," meaning a "steer," or "bull." 1

As such it was likely originally an occupational name for a cattleman, or perhaps a nickname. Some instances of the name in Scotland may have come from the Viking name Stoti, which likely arrived with the 9th century Norse colonization of Strathclyde and Aberdeenshire.

Early Origins of the Stites family

The surname Stites was first found in Yorkshire, but by the 15th century some of the family name had moved north to Aberdeenshire where Andrew Stott was a burgess there in 1490. Later, Margaret Stote held a family seat in Dolphinstoun in Lanarkshire in 1675, and Alexander Stote held a family seat in Maynes in Balyeordie in Renfrewshire in 1689. 2

Early History of the Stites family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stites research. Another 187 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1625, 1634, 1649, 1651, 1656, 1691, 1741, 1768 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Stites History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stites Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Stot, Stott, Stite, Stites and others.

Early Notables of the Stites family

Notable amongst the family at this time was John Stith (fl. 1656-1691) from Kirkham in Lancashire, emigrated to America where he became a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and the progenitor...
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Stites Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stites Ranking

In the United States, the name Stites is the 6,676^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Stites family to Ireland

Some of the Stites family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stites migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Stites Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Stites, who arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1633 4

Stites Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Michael Stites, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1761 4

Stites Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jos. H. Stites, aged 45, who settled in America, in 1896

Stites Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

W. Scott Stites, aged 56, who settled in America, in 1904
Richard W. Stites, aged 44, who immigrated to the United States, in 1905
Marie Louise Stites, aged 67, who landed in America, in 1905
May Stites, aged 37, who immigrated to America, in 1905
Alice Horton Stites, aged 38, who landed in America, in 1905
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Stites (post 1700) +

Gary Stites (b. 1940), American pop singer, active in the late 1950s
Sara Stites (b. 1955), American artist
Richard Thomas Stites (1931-2010), American historian of Russian culture
John Stites, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Cape May County, 1845 5
James H. Stites, American politician, Candidate for Michigan State Treasurer, 1936; Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives from Oakland County 2nd District, 1938 5
Howard Stites, American politician, Candidate for Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1948 5
Gerard Stites, American politician, U.S. Collector of Customs, 1881 5
Fletcher Wilbur Stites (1881-1933), American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for Pennsylvania, 1920; Member of Pennsylvania State Senate 12th District, 1923-26 5
Charles Stites, American Republican politician, Chair of Morgan County Republican Party, 1973 5
Chad Stites, American Republican politician, Candidate for Oklahoma State House of Representatives 71st District, 2002 5
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html