Wittrup History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Of all the Anglo-Saxon names to come from Britain, Wittrup is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived at Winthrop in the county of Lincolnshire. That place-name is derived from the Old English personal name Winn, meaning friend and porp, meaning settlement, and indicates that it was once owned by someone name Winn.

Early Origins of the Wittrup family

The surname Wittrup was first found in Lincolnshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor, some say at the time of the Norman Conquest of England in the year 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Wittrup family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wittrup research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1498, 1526, 1544, 1562, 1587, 1606, 1630, 1641, 1649, 1676, 1717 and 1825 are included under the topic Early Wittrup History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wittrup Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Wittrup has been spelled many different ways, including Winthorpe, Wynethorpe, Wynthorpe, Winethorpe, Wynethrop, Winthrop, Winthropp, Winethrop, Winthorp, Winthropp, Wynthropp, Wynethropp, Wynthrop, Winthrip, Winthrup, Withrupp, Withripp, Winthroppe, Wynthroppe and many more.

Early Notables of the Wittrup family

Notables of the family at this time include John Winthrop (1587-1649), a wealthy English Puritan lawyer and one of the leading figures in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Born at Edwardston, Suffolk, he was "grandson of Adam Winthrop (1498-1562) of Lavenham in Suffolk, a substantial clothier, who founded the fortunes of the family, was granted the freedom of the city of London in 1526. He obtained by a grant of 1544 the manor of Groton, Suffolk, formerly belonging to...
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wittrup Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wittrup family to Ireland

Some of the Wittrup family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wittrup migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Wittrups to arrive in North America:

Wittrup Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jos Wittrup, who arrived in America in 1836 1
Heinr Wittrup, who landed in America in 1847 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Wittrup (post 1700) +

K. Dane Wittrup, American engineer, current Carbon P. Dubbs Professor in Chemical Engineering and Biological Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Wittrup 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: Hope wins a throne
Motto Translation: An anagram of John Winthrop.

Citations +

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)