Show ContentsArtis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 added many new elements to an already vibrant culture. Among these were thousands of new names. The Artis family lived in Suffolk, where they were located since the early Middle Ages, but the name originated in the French province of Artois. [1]

Alternatively then name could have been derived from the Breton word "arth" which means "bear."

Early Origins of the Artis family

The surname Artis was first found in Suffolk, where they held a family seat from the Middle Ages. The name originated in the French province of Artois and was transferred to England with the conquest.

Early History of the Artis family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Artis research. Another 227 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1327, 1500, 1524, 1568, 1619, 1649, 1655, 1661, 1674, 1713 and 1724 are included under the topic Early Artis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Artis Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Artus, Artis, Artiss, Artois, Artoys, Artice, Artes, Arteis, Artson and many more.

Early Notables of the Artis family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was William Artoys, a prominent 14th century landholder in Suffolk.Artus de Lionne (1655-1713), Abbé and Bishop of Rosalie in...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Artis Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Artis Ranking

In the United States, the name Artis is the 2,547th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. [2]


United States Artis migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Artis or a variant listed above:

Artis Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • L. L. Artis, aged 33, who landed in America, in 1893
  • Edmund Artis, aged 43, who settled in America from Brighton, in 1893
  • Mrs. Mariano C. Artis, aged 32, who settled in America, in 1896
  • Leo. L. Artis, aged 36, who immigrated to America, in 1896
  • Maria L. Artis, aged 32, who landed in America, in 1896
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Artis Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mary Buchanan Artis, aged 29, who immigrated to the United States from Kilbowie, Scotland, in 1904
  • Matews Artis, aged 18, who landed in America, in 1905
  • Helen Artis, aged 4, who immigrated to the United States from Glasgow, in 1907
  • Artis, aged 32, who immigrated to the United States from Glasgow, in 1907
  • Percy E. Artis, aged 38, who landed in America, in 1917
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Artis (post 1700) +

  • Orsten Artis, retired American basketball player
  • Tom Artis (1956-2007), American comic book artist for DC Comics and Marvel Comics
  • Mitchell N. Artis, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Ohio, 2008 [3]
  • David Artis, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Washington, 2000 [3]
  • Artis Leon Ivey Jr. (1963-2022), known professionally as Coolio, an American rapper, record producer, and actor who achieved mainstream success in the mid-to-late 1990s
  • Artis Wayne Cooper (1956-2022), American NBA basketball player (1978-1992), born in Milan, Georgia, Sun Belt Player of the Year (1978)
  • Artis J. McCampbell (b. 1953), American politician, Member of the Alabama House of Representatives (2006-)
  • Artis Turnbough (d. 1999), American founder of The Mighty Clouds of Joy, an American traditional gospel music quartet
  • Artis Gilmore (b. 1949), retired American Hall of Fame basketball player
  • Artis Terrell (b. 1968), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Louisiana, 2004


  1. 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)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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