Contents [hide]

Cattell History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Cattell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Cattell was spawned by the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture that ruled a majority of Britain. It comes from Chetel, an Old Norse and Old English given name. "The Welsh Annals (Annales Cambriae, Mon. Hist. Brit.) mention a Catell, king of Powys, in A.D. 808, and other eminent personages of the same Christian name. Cattal is, however, the name of a township in the West Riding of Yorkshire. " 1

Early Origins of the Cattell family

The surname Cattell was first found in Norfolk, where Chetel Frieday, a freeman was listed in 1087. 2 Early records were more often than not of the name as a forename as almost two hundred years later, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Cattle Bagge in Cambridgeshire. 3 The same rolls include Hervey Catel in Norfolk and Geoffrey Cattel in Huntingdonshire. 4

Later in Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include: Thomas Chetill; and Johannes Chetel. 3

Again in Yorkshire, we found John Cattle in 1653, John Cattell in 1683, and John Cattall in 1707, all listed as Freemen of York. 4

"The name of Cattell is now well established around Birmingham: it is also found in the contiguous county of Oxford. Six hundred years ago it occurred as Catel and Katel in Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Hunts, Norfolk, and Lincolnshire." 5

Early History of the Cattell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cattell research. Another 237 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1275, 1279, 1500, 1530, 1561, 1653, 1683, 1707, 1773, 1780, 1781, 1787, 1790, 1792, 1802, 1810 and 1814 are included under the topic Early Cattell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cattell Spelling Variations

Cattell has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Cattell have been found, including Cattell, Cattle, Catel, Cattall, Catell, Cattelle and many more.

Early Notables of the Cattell family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Geoffrey Catel, a prominent 13th century landholder in Huntingdonshire.Back in France, where some of the family remained, Charles Simon Catel, born June 1773 at l'Aigle (Orne); began his studies very early under Sacchini, Gobert, and Gossec, in the 'Ecole royale de chant et de déclamation,' at Paris. In 1787 he was made accompanist and 'professeur-adjoint' of the School, and in 1790 accompanist at the Opera. The same year he became chief, conjointly with Gossec, of the band of the Garde Nationale, for which he wrote a vast quantity of military music, which was...
Another 106 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cattell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cattell migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Cattells to arrive on North American shores:

Cattell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mr. Robert Cattell, who arrived in Massachusetts Bay in 1635 aboard the ship "Unity", with family 6
Mrs. Cattell, who arrived in Massachusetts Bay in 1635 aboard the ship "Unity", with family 6

Cattell migration to Australia +

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

Cattell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

C. Cattell, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Senator" in 1849 7

Cattell 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:

Cattell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James Cattell, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
William Cattell, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
James Cattell, aged 38, a carpenter, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "London" in 1842
Mary Cattell, aged 35, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "London" in 1842
Harriett Cattell, aged 13, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "London" in 1842
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Cattell (post 1700) +

James McKeen Cattell (1860-1944), American psychologist, first professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania
William C. Cattell, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Gloucester County, 1906-08 8
Alexander Gilmore Cattell (1816-1894), American Republican politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Salem County, 1840; U.S. Senator from New Jersey, 1866-71 8
Raymond B. Cattell (b. 1905), English psychologist
Alexander Gilmore Cattell, United States Senator from New Jersey
George Harold Cattell, Director-General of the National Farmers' Union in Britain

Historic Events for the Cattell family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Roy Cattell, British Petty Officer, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 9

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The SENATOR 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Senator.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html