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Catt History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Catt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
England

The ancient Norman culture that was established in England after the Conquest of 1066 produced the name of Catt. It was given to a person who has a fancied resemblance to a cat. The name stems from the Old Northern French cat, of the same meaning, which occurs in many languages in the same form from a very early period.

Early Origins of the Catt family

The surname Catt was first found in Norfolk where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Catt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Catt research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Catt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Catt Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Catt, Cat, Catts, Ketts, Chatt, Chat and others.

Early Notables of the Catt family

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

Catt Ranking

In the United States, the name Catt is the 11,731^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Catt migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Catt or a variant listed above:

Catt Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Joseph Catt, who landed in Virginia in 1655 2

Catt Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Catt, who settled in America in 1737
Curteis Catt, who settled in America in 1767
Curtis Catt, who settled in America in 1767
Richard Catt, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1774
John Catt who settled in Maryland in 1775

Catt migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Catt Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Henry Catt, who settled in Ontario in 1871

Catt migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Catt Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Walter Catt, aged 19, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Oregon" 3
William Catt, aged 18, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Oregon" 3

Catt migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Catt Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Ann Catt, aged 22, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1872

Contemporary Notables of the name Catt (post 1700) +

Carrie Clinton Chapman Catt (1859-1947), American women's suffrage leader who campaigned for the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which gave U.S. women the right to vote, President of the National American Woman Suffrage Association from 1900 to 1904 and again from 1915 to 1920.
Michael Cameron Catt (1952-2023), American film producer, author, and senior pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church from 1989 until his retirement in 2021
Michael Catt, American actor and producer, known for his work on Courageous (2011), Fireproof (2008) and Facing the Giants (2006)
Donald Catt, American politician, Mayor of Albany, Oregon, 1971 4
Charles Catt, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Nevada, 1956 4
Anthony Waldron Catt (b. 1933), former English cricketer
Nathan Catt (b. 1988), English rugby union player from Bristol
Oliver Catt (b. 1993), English musician based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Michael John "Mike" Catt OBE (b. 1971), South African-born, English rugby union footballer who played from 1992 to 2010, member of the England National team 1994 to 2007
Ivor Catt (b. 1935), British electronics engineer, known for his work on electromagnetism
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The barque OREGON, 521 tons - 1851 voyage to South Australia. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Oregon.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html