Cattan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The origins of the Cattan name come from when the Anglo-Saxon tribes ruled over Britain. The name Cattan was originally derived from a family having lived in Norfolk. However, there are numerous other places named Catton including: a chapelry in the parish of Croxall, Derbyshire; a parish in East Riding Yorkshire; a township in the parish of Topcliffe, North Riding of Yorkshire; and Caton, a chapelry in the parish of Lancaster. 1

One source notes that the family may have been anciently Norman in origin: "Herebert Katune, of Normandy, 1198 (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae). This may mean the English family of De Catton, which it shows to have been Norman." 2

Early Origins of the Cattan family

The surname Cattan was first found in Norfolk "from time immemorial till the middle of the last century. Until the close of the XVI. cent., Catton and De Catton; from the manor of Catton near Norwich, which in Domesday is spelt Catun and Catuna. The Latinizations Catonus, Gathonus, and Chattodunus occur in old records." 3

"The Catons of Essex are probably a branch of the ancient family of Caton or Catton of Norfolk." 4

Researchers scanning through early rolls discovered the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Robert de Catton, or Cattune: Norfolk, 1273; and John Caton, Huntingdonshire. The Lay Subsidy Rolls listed John de Caton, of Lancaster, Lancashire. And the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Johannes de Catton; and Willelmus de Caytton. 1

Walter Catton or Chattodunus (d. 1343), was "a Franciscan friar of Norwich, was, according to some authorities, head of the Minorite convent situated between the churches of St. Cuthbert and St. Vedast. He seems to have been an author of some repute in his generation, and was, according to Bale, a great student of Aristotle. Towards the close of his life he was summoned to Avignon by the Pope, and died a penitentiary in that city in 1343. " 5

Early History of the Cattan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cattan research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1636, 1652 and 1665 are included under the topic Early Cattan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cattan Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Cattan include Caton, Catton, Cattan, Catten, Caten and others.

Early Notables of the Cattan family

Distinguished members of the family include William Caton (1636-1665), an early English Quaker itinerant preacher and writer. He "was probably a near relation of Margaret Askew, afterwards wife of Thomas Fell, vice-chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster. At the age of fourteen he was taken by his father to the judge's house at Swarthmore...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cattan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cattan migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Cattan Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Nehemiah Cattan, who settled in Virginia in 1654 with her husband Sam

The Cattan 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: Cautes metuit fovean lupus
Motto Translation: The cautious wolf fears the snare.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print