Waithe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The earliest forms of hereditary surnames in Scotland were the patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. Scottish patronymic names emerged as early as the mid-9th century. The patronyms were derived from a variety of given names that were of many different origins. The surname Waithe is derived from from the personal name Walter, meaning strong warrior.

Early Origins of the Waithe family

The surname Waithe was first found in Carnegy on the north-east coast of Scotland. "In 1446 there is mention of the seal of Wat of Carnegy. Walter Wat held land in Brechin in 1586, and Alexander Wat was witness to a sasine in 1512. Patrick Wat in Turriff was admitted burgess of Aberdeen in 1609, and John Wat was retoured heir of Adam Wat, writer to the King's Signet, in lands in the parish of Stewartoun, etc., in 1663. " ( Black)

Early History of the Waithe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Waithe research. Another 147 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1511, 1596, 1615, 1796 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Waithe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Waithe Spelling Variations

The frequent translations of surnames from and into Gaelic, accounts for the multitude of spelling variations found in Scottish surnames. Furthermore, the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent because medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules. The different versions of a surname, such as the inclusion of the patronymic prefix "Mac", frequently indicated a religious or Clan affiliation, or even a division of the family. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into Scotland, accelerating accentuating the alterations to various surnames. The name Waithe has also been spelled Watts, Wathes, Wattys, Wath, Watt and others.

Early Notables of the Waithe family

More information is included under the topic Early Waithe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Waithe family to Ireland

Some of the Waithe 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.

Migration of the Waithe family

Some of the first North American settlers with Waithe name or one of its variants: Robert Watts who settled in Bona Vista in Newfoundland in 1708; David Watt settled in Barbados in 1680; Captain Watts settled in Boston in 1755; Henry Watts settled in Maine in 1630.

Contemporary Notables of the name Waithe (post 1700) +

Lena Waithe (b. 1984), American screenwriter, producer, and actress, best known for her starring role in the Netflix comedy-drama series Master of None (2015–2017)
Keith Waithe, Guyana-born musician, composer and teacher who has been based in the United Kingdom since 1977
Stann Waithe (b. 1985), Trinidadian sprinter, who specialized in the 400 metres
James Waithe (b. 1961), English-born, former judoka who represented Barbados at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Olivia Charlotte Waithe (b. 1988), English-Barbadian singer-songwriter better known by her stage name Livvi Franc

The Waithe 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: Fide et fiducia
Motto Translation: By fidelity and confidence.